Tales of an Eagle
by Ol Alex
Summary: A trip to Rio? Sure! A bunch of paid terrorists? Hogwash! New friends? Magnificent! New enemies? Drat... Having difficulty in trying to figure out your blurry origins? Yes. All of this is what a certain visitor and a new friend is currently going through.
1. Introduction and Cast

Note from Author: This is my first fan fiction story, so please go easy on me. If you're going to criticize, please make it constructive, and not offending. Thank you.

And this story is rated "T" for good reasons. This story will be true to the characters' emotions that will be applied here. But don't worry. There won't be any super intense swearing, like the "F" word. If there were, I would've rated this "M".

P.S.: I do not own Rio and its characters, just my original characters. The name "Rio" and the notable characters that will be used in this story belong to Blue Sky Studios.

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><p>Rio: Tales of an Eagle<p>

Cast:

Alex – Original and New Character, Main Character, Bald Eagle

Patrick, Freedom and Liberty – Original and New Minor Characters, Alex's Father, Mother and Sister

Dexter – Original and New Character, President of the USA, Human

Esteban - Original and New Character, President of Brazil, Human

Blu – Recurring Character, Spix's Macaw

Jewel – Recurring Character, Blu's Mate, Spix's Macaw

Rafael – Recurring Character, Toco Toucan

Eva – Recurring Character, Rafael's Mate, Keel-billed Toucan

Brandon and Tina – Original and New Characters, Twin brother and sister, Blu and Jewel's kids

Miguel – Original and New Character, The Youngest in Blu's Family

Ryan – Original and New Character, Rafael and Eva's oldest son

Emilia – Original and New Character, Rafael and Eva's oldest daughter

Nigel – Recurring Character, A Changed Bird, Cockatoo

Diego and Gregorio – Original and New Characters, Villains, White-tailed Eagles

Sylvia - Original and New Character, Probable Villain/Ally, White-tailed Eagle, Younger Sister of Diego and Gregorio

Pedro – Recurring Character, Cardinal

Kipo - Recurring Minor Character, Spoon-billed Bird

Nico – Recurring Character, Canary

Linda – Recurring Character, Blu's Owner, Human

Tulio – Recurring Character, Ornithologist, Linda's Husband, Human

King Mauro and his Cronies – Recurring Characters, Villains, Marmosets

Harry and Kane – Original and New Minor Characters, Annoyances to Alex, Magpies

Arlene – Original and New Minor Character, Neighborhood Friend, Blue Jay

Lorenzo and Charlene – Original and New Characters, New Friends, Scarlet and Blue-and-Gold Macaws


	2. Heavy Family Loss

Heavy Family Loss

December 13, 1993: Moose Lake Woods, Minnesota; 3 Years before Blu was born…

It was a peaceful night in the City of Moose Lake, especially the woods. The snow was just right, and it wasn't really freezing. And to top it all off, Christmas was nearing. The humans were preparing their Christmas trees and decorations in their usual cheerful manner.

In the woods, a group of Bald Eagles were on a nest, on a high branch of a big pine tree. The parents were comforting their children to sleep, humming lullabies.

"Isn't it great having kids, Patrick?" The mother said with a sweet and soft voice.

"Of course, Freedom-baby. You're practically the reason why our beautiful angels exist. Without you, they wouldn't be here, and I don't know what I'd do." Patrick replied sweetly, while looking into her eyes.

Freedom blushed and giggled. "Aww… That's so sweet of you, baby."

As soon as the children fell asleep, Freedom put a sheet of leaves and twigs over them, serving as a blanket. She knew perfectly well that they were Bald Eagles, and that they were naturally used to the cold, but she wouldn't risk them getting sick.

After covering them, she turned to see Patrick staring and smiling right in front of her face, looking at her straight in the eyes with a dreamy smile. The moonlight gave his eyes a reflecting twinkle.

Freedom smiled back and said "I love you, Patrick".

"I love you too, Freedom."

But before Patrick could even move his wing, Freedom pulled his head to hers and gave him a long, deep and passionate kiss. He was surprised, even if this happened many times before. But of course, that's love.

He closed his eyes, wrapped his wings around her and felt their tongues rubbing against each other. The power of true love made their bond stronger every time.

After about 2 minutes of their love session, they looked back on their children. Patrick suddenly remembered that their son, Alex, was born with red eyes, instead of the usual yellow eyes.

"Hey, Freedom, why is it that our son is born with red eyes? I'm not related to anyone with red eyes. And I know that you're not either."

"I don't know, darling. It's probably just an abnormality. Nothing's wrong with our baby. Don't worry about it."

"Okay… I guess. Liberty doesn't have any abnormalities, if I'm correct."

"Yeah, she doesn't."

Freedom chuckled at his worry. "You worry too much, Patrick. Relax. Christmas is nearing, and we'd be partying with the other eagles before you know it."

Patrick smiled in the reassurance. "Okay, baby. Whatever you say."

After one last lovely hug, they lay beside their children and went to sleep.

**A Few Hours Later...**

Orange light was licking around the family of eagles, disturbing Patrick. All of a sudden, he heard the screaming of other eagles, therefore, waking up the whole family.

"What in the world is going on?" Patrick yelled.

Other eagles flying and/or running on the ground, due to whatever was causing the ruckus, replied.

"Fire! There's a forest fire! Get the hell out of here, now!"

But before Patrick could even answer back, fire suddenly sprouted on the tree in front of them. The fire must have started somewhere in the forest, and it was spreading… Fast.

Freedom was scared, holding on to Alex, who was also scared. "Patrick! How did this happen?"

Patrick held on to Liberty, and replied. "I don't know. But we have to get out of here. Flying is dangerous, though. We might catch fire while flying. The best and safest way to get out of here is by running. We have a wider area down there."

"Okay. Hold on to Liberty, alright? I already have Alex with m- PATRICK! LOOK OUT!"

Patrick turned around and saw the branch that was above him, falling. To make it worse, it was big, and on fire. He had no time to react, as it fell on the ground between him and Freedom, snapping the branch that they were on, in half.

Freedom couldn't believe what she just saw in front of her. As she looked below, still holding on to Alex, she witnessed her mate and their daughter fall into the blazing tree remnants and bushes on the ground.

**Freedom's POV**

I couldn't believe my eyes… I just lost my mate and my daughter in front of me. Two losses at once. Why? Why did it have to be tonight? When our children don't even know how to talk in complete sentences yet. Hell, I don't want them to die anyway.

Alex is the only family I have left. Losing him will be the end my life. My purpose in life will completely disappear if Alex goes too.

I wanted to mourn, but I have to get Alex and myself out of this mess first.

Without hesitation, I carried Alex on one wing, and used the remaining branches on our tree to climb down. As I was climbing down, I noticed my wing left wing getting damp, with repetitive heavy breathing pushing on it. My son was crying. It seemed that he understood what happened back there, when my dear Patrick and Liberty fell to their deaths.

As soon as I got down from our once strong tree, I comforted Alex. Seeing him cry also made me want to cry.

"Hush now, Alex. It will be okay. I promise, I'll get us out of here."

Alex then looked at me with his beautiful red eyes, which were soaking wet with tears of sadness and sorrow.

I gave him a reassuring smile and a kiss on his forehead.

However, the fire around us interrupted our loving moment. It seemed like the flames of Hell wanted to bring us down, which heavily frustrated me.

'Crap! The fire's spreading fast! I have to get out of here. Flying might get us killed because the trees are on fire as well.' My thoughts were racing like horses running on a field somewhere in Alabama.

I looked around for an opening for me to run through. Thankfully, there was. I ran quickly to the opening and jumped through it. As I landed on my feet, I looked around myself and Alex to see if we were on fire. Well, we weren't.

The area around me now didn't have as much fire like the other, but it seemed like the fire was following, because it was coming in fast.

I quickly made a run for it, holding Alex tightly; to make sure I don't drop him.

While I was running, I heard other eagles screaming and yelling. Heck, I even thought I saw one burning. Then I saw others grab him and try to get the flames off. But I didn't stop to look at the suffering eagle. I think he was a Golden Eagle.

Anyway, I just kept running and running. I thought I was finally going to get out when I saw an open area, where there were no trees. But before I could even get there, the fire swarmed and blocked my means of escape, my doorway to safety.

I hope to God that Hell doesn't take my son away. He can take me away, just not my precious son. If I could, I'd beat the crap and claw the eyes out of the devils if they even try to get their hands on my son. They already took away my mate and my daughter, with me unprepared.

As I looked around me once more, I noticed that I was surrounded by the flames again. Alex started to cry again. The damn devils were scaring him out.

I thought that this was the end of us. I had nowhere to run, or fly. I was in a tight situation. I looked at my son, and he looked back at me. He was just so… so… innocent and cute and handsome. Patrick and I couldn't wait until he became a grown-up. The same goes for Liberty. But NO! Life didn't give my loved ones another chance.

As I was looking into my son's eyes, I suddenly noticed his pupils dilate when we heard a sharp snap. I looked above us, and a big, sharp and slightly burning branch started falling towards us. Quickly looking at my surroundings, I was hoping to find at least one small opening. But there was none.

So I did what my instincts told me to do. I knelt down on the ground and put my son underneath me, to cover him from the sharp hand of the devil.

The next thing I knew, I felt a white-hot, sharp and excruciating pain on my back diving straight to my chest until it protruded it.

The tip of the branch went through my chest, spurting blood out of it. I was speechless. The pain is not what I expected it to be.

When I looked down at my son, he was uninjured, but I think his heart will be injured for an eternity. He was covered in blood… my blood. His face, some parts of his body too.

He looked at me with extreme fear and sadness and I saw his eyes tearing up again. Those red eyes…

And then I heard sirens. Those sounds must be coming from the fire trucks. The humans were coming. I hoped to God that they would find us here. I wanted whoever those humans are, to take my son, and give him care and love, like what my mate and I did.

The sirens got louder. They were pretty close. I even heard the humans themselves, barking out orders to quickly take out the fire, the damn devils that killed Patrick, Liberty, the other eagles and animals that probably died in there, me.

I gave, what I knew were, my last words to Alex.

"Alex, do not have fear anymore. The humans are here. They'll help you. Remember this, Alex. I love you. Your father loved you, and so did your sister. Be strong. And be grateful for the one who'll rescue you from all this."

As I finished that, some of my blood was dripping from my beak. One of them, which probably scared Alex more, dropped on his face, between his eyes. Tears started rolling like waterfalls from his eyes. He started sobbing.

I started crying as well.

"I love you, Alex. And you'll always be my baby."

Those were my last words, until I started blacking out, with death closing upon me.

The last thing I heard, were humans closing in… And my son's sobbing, which got louder and painful.


	3. Search and Rescue

**Search and Rescue**

**Dexter's POV**

These fires are getting worse. Like the one that happened years ago, in the same city! God, I don't know why these things happen. But it's my duty to prevent these fires from spreading out before they kill people and animals.

It's nearing Christmas. Why do these things have to happen?

Anyway, I just received a distress call from Moose Lake's local law enforcement, reporting that they saw a wild forest fire going on in the woods. And they sent me the pictures and details of the fire within the range of their station, which is why I said that the fires these days are getting worse.

I quickly rang my partners up and gave them the heads-up on the situation.

"Guys! Wake up! We got another fire! A forest fire, to be precise." I was darn-well screaming my lungs out.

One of my buddies immediately woke up and grabbed his gear from the locker room. He's pretty quick, for a guy that weighs 187 lbs.

The others were scrambling through the station as well. Grabbing their gear, checking the trucks… The usual fireman's things.

I was getting mine as well. I was worried, though. I hope there aren't any human or animal casualties.

My thoughts of worry were interrupted when one of my partners spoke up while putting on his hard-hat.

"Captain Dexter, we're already to go. The trucks' water tanks are full, and the teams are waiting for you."

Wow… And I'm the one that was still preparing.

"Yeah, Jackson. I'll be right there."

Two minutes are all it took for me to get ready. After that, I sighed deeply, went down the pipe, and ran to the first truck I saw.

Before we left, I announced "Okay, guys! Let's do our best here! No one will get hurt here, alright?"

"YES SIR!" They all replied.

"Chances are that animals got hurt there. Worse… Killed. While we get the fire extinguished, Team 2 will head into the woods and check for casualties. I'll join you shortly after. Are we clear?"

"YES SIR!"

"Alright! Let's gets a move on, shall we?"

Then we headed to the woods near the symbolic lake.

**20 Minutes Later…**

Damn. Looks like the Jinx Goddess took the words right out of my mouth. The fire really IS worse. I just hope to God that not a single animal died in there.

Jackson was right beside me. And I heard him mutter "Son of a…"

"Hold that thought, Jackson. You know what we all have to do."

I shifted my head to everyone else.

"Alright, guys! You know what to do! Put that fire out!"

I tightened my hard-hat, and made my way to the hose. I also saw Team 2 preparing themselves to go into the fiery blazes of Hell.

Jackson and 2 other guys were prepping up the water. Well, if they ran out of water, there was a fire hydrant close by anyway.

"Alright, Captain! Let her rip!"

I did just that, alright. I pulled the lever on the hose while holding onto the grip. The water burst like a… Well, you know what I'm talking about.

As soon as the water extinguished most of the fire, I was about to order Team 2 to go into the woods. But they were already going in.

I stopped the hose and gave it to one of my guys. "Keep hosing the fire. The rest, prep up the other truck and hose the fire as well. I'm joining Team 2."

My partner replied. "Yes sir. You take care now, okay?"

I nodded and smiled. Before I knew it, I was already running to the woods.

**Scorching Hot Minutes in the Forest Later… **

I haven't seen any dead or hurt animals or humans yet. That's good. I was thinking about Team 2 if they found anyone who's hurt or dead.

My thoughts were suddenly broken by a cry. I knew that cry. It was a young Bald Eagle's distress cry. It was probably hurt.

At the right time, I received contact from one of Team 2's members. "Captain, we found a live one! You better come look at this one. Follow the cries of the eagle."

I damn right followed the cries. After I told them that I was on my way, I followed the cries, which led me deeper into the woods.

Pretty soon, I found Team 2 around 2 Bald Eagles.

One of them reacted to the scene. "Holy crap! Nick, get that branch off the eagle."

Nick replied. "Yeah, yeah. I'm on it!"

I arrived just in time to see the commotion. When I saw the said eagles, I was shocked. I saw Nick carefully removing a big branch that protruded the poor eagle's back to the chest.

Blood spat on Nick's face when he removed the branch from the eagle's body. "I'm checking for vitals…"

He really was. Then I heard the cry again. I looked in the direction of the cry. 'Turns out that the one crying was underneath the body of the other eagle.

I was surprised to find him covered in blood. I quickly, but gently picked him up and checked for any wounds.

I thanked the Heavens that he had no injuries. He was still crying, though.

I calmed him down with my best fatherly voice. Even if I wasn't married.

"Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-shhhh. It's okay, little fella. You're in safe hands now."

He seemed to calm down a bit. Then he slowly opened his eyes and looked straight in my eyes. And I was surprised… again. He had… red eyes. Not yellow eyes, like what Bald Eagles usually have. My God…

I looked back on Team 2. Nick stopped checking for vitals. They were all staring at me with looks of sheer defeat, which gave me their results.

The other eagle didn't make it.

"Was the eagle male or female?" I needed to know. Tears were welling up in my eyes.

Nick had the data written down. "Female. Estimated to be 18 years old. She's…"

I was beginning to worry about his answer, but I had to know. I just had to.

"What? She's what? C'mon! Tell me!"

"She's… the mother of that baby you're holding." Nick started crying weakly. So did a few of the others. I did as well.

I understood how they were all feeling. This was no ordinary drama scene for me. Because this is all centered on an eagle, and not another human. Wait… Not JUST an eagle, but a Bald Eagle. The symbol of our country and its freedom and majesty, going through all this painful crap.

I just… couldn't believe all of this.

I told Team 2 to proceed looking for more casualties. As they continued, the fire around me started to fade, as Team 1 was advancing with the trucks, extinguishing the flames.

**30 Minutes of Emotional Pain, Fire Extinguishing and Casualty Searching Later…**

Right after we were done getting rid of the flames, we sent messages to the local law enforcement and the Mayor of Moose Lake, containing all the details of what happened back there.

I still held the poor, traumatized eagle in my arms as we were cleaning up the ash that was littered on the snow. We might as well do the forest denizens and the Mayor a big favor.

I stared at the eagle, and he stared back at me. I gave him a reassuring smile and ran my finger on his neck. He seemed to have liked it, because he dug his head in the chest level of my fireman's coat.

"Don't worry, buddy. You won't be seeing flames anymore. You're in safe hands now."

While the youngling was making himself comfortable in my arms and coat, Jackson came up to me.

"Sir, I apologize for what you saw back there and… you know, I… j-just wanted to make sure you're okay." Jackson… the man's been my friend for years, since college.

I answered back. "Thanks for your concern, man."

"So… What are you going to do about that young one there?"

"Well… I've given it a lot of thought, and… I decided to adopt him"

"Really? You serious?"

"Absolutely. And you know what? I think I'll call him Alex. The name fits him pretty well. "

I looked at him and smiled. "From now on, I'll be taking care of you. But first, I need a license to own you."

While I was contemplating on what else to do with my new friend, Nick came up to me.

"Hey, Nick. You okay now?"

"Yes sir. I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm fine now. I'm adopting this youngling. I called him Alex."

"That's… really nice sir. Really. Umm… I also wanted to tell you that the ash has been cleaned up."

"Oh. Okay. Then let's head back to the station. "

Then I looked at Alex with a smile. "And you're coming with me, friend."

Alex then looked at me and squealed with happiness.

"Awwwwwww….." All the others were apparently watching us. And I giggled.

"Alright, guys. Let's go back."

"Yes sir!"

**Going Back Home…**

While I was on my way back to the station, I suddenly heard a sweet, but ghostly voice that echoed in my ears.

The voice said "Take good care of him for me…"

At first, I felt chills on my spine. Then, I realized that the only kind of people that would say things that way would be mothers. And I had a hunch that it was Alex's mother that was talking to me.

So I replied as well. "Don't worry, Miss… uhhh, Eagle. I'll take good care of him… for you and your mate. And for his brother or sister… if he had one. He'll be safe in the hands of Dexter Eisenhower… which are mine."

I can get dorky with speeches, I know.

"By the way, we buried your body near the lake. We just thought that it would be a nice place for you to rest in peace."

The voice replied. "Thank you very much for doing so, and for taking my baby under your wing."

"Ummm… I don't have wings. But rest assured, no problem, ma'am."

Then the voice stopped talking. I smiled as I looked at Alex, sleeping soundly in my arms. When he wakes up, I'm going to tell him that I just spoke with his mother.

Suddenly, Jackson spoke up. "Uhh… sir? Were you talking to yourself?"

"Wait… huh… what? You didn't hear the voice?"

"Voice? What voice? Did the fire and smoke... and probably the drama, hit you on the head that hard?"

He probably thought I was going mad. That nearly killed me.

"No… no. I'm just tired. That's all."

"Well… whatever you say, buddy."

Tonight's been a long, emotional night. I'm going to need some rest… A lot of it!

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><p>Author's Note: My apologies for the ones that reviewed earlier and that the story suddenly got removed. I'm still getting used to the mechanics of the website. And I'm sorry if the chapter seems to be short. I'll be updating on the weekends. Probably even the weekdays, if I have the time.<p>

Please. Feel free to review and criticize. Constructive criticism, mind you. Oh, and tell me if I have any wrong grammar or spelling, and I'll be sure to get it (or them) fixed as soon as possible. Time to sign out. I'm bushed…


	4. A New Home and a Brighter Future

A New Home and a Brighter Future

The dramatic scene in the once burning woods was finally over. Dexter, his teams and his new friend finally arrived at the station. Alex finally has a new home, away from the memories that might haunt him when he finds out about his family's dreadful passing.

Dexter immediately went over to the bathroom, holding on to the blood-stained eagle. He needed to give him a bath. Those horrible, traumatizing memories have to be washed away.

He placed him gently in a basin filled with warm water, rubbing his blood-soaked feathers.

While washing the blood off, he was softly singing the tune of a song named "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden.

**When you feel all alone…**

**And the world has turned its back on you,**

**Give me a moment please…**

**To tame your wild, wild heart.**

**I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you,**

**It's hard to find relief…**

**And people can be so cold**

**When darkness is upon your door, and you feel like you can't take anymore…**

All of a sudden, Dexter, stopped singing, for he noticed Alex looking at him again, with the "I love you" look.

Had he understood what he's been saying? Maybe so. And he's going to find out tonight.

**Dexter's POV**

I couldn't help but smile at him. He was just so adorable. I'm probably going to be a father after all… with no wife, though. But I'm sure I can handle this on my own.

"You know what that song meant, Alex? It means that I'm willing to be your loyal friend. When you're falling, I'll be there to catch you, anytime." And I meant that too. In fact, I'm honored to be his caretaker.

Alex smiled at me, and squealed with joy. I was still a little disturbed with the red eyes. This is the first Bald Eagle I've ever seen with red eyes. However, they looked good on him. I'm already starting to wonder what he would look like when he grows up.

My train of thought was suddenly broken when Alex started romping around the basin, splashing water on my body and face. At least he didn't get freaked out by the red shade that was forming on the water. That was his mother's blood. But I'm not telling him what happened back there. It's probably for the best. Which reminds me…

"Alex. I spoke with your mother a while ago and she ju- Ohhh, c'mon, Alex. Hold still, buddy."

He was pretty lively, for a very young eagle. I had to make sure not to get any bath soap in his eyes. I gently held both of his wings with one hand, and gently rubbed my soap-caked fingers around his body and neck. He fit pretty snugly in my hand.

Well, he did hold still. So, I continued what I was trying to tell him.

"Alex, I spoke with your mother a while ago, and she just thanked me for taking you away from that dreadful fire. She ummm…. "

I forgot. I wasn't supposed to tell him. 'Crap. I forgot. I can't tell him what happened. I know that his mother died in front of him, with her blood covering him and all. But for an eagle his age, he shouldn't be able to remember what he hears, or what he sees. And I was just about to prevent that fact.

It was too late, though. Alex was already looking at me with a look of curiosity. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt him. He's just a baby. Looks like I'm going to have to lie.

"I don't know if you can even understand me, but she uhh… had to leave me with you."

I am the WORST liar in the world. But it seemed like Alex believed me. Did he just forget what happened back there? In the Hell covered woods? Well, that was really close though. If he's ever going to wonder about his family when he grows up, he's going to have to find out on his own. Makes me feel guilty, but it's for the best. Or maybe, I could leave something for him to solve, based on his family's dreadful passing.

And he actually understood what I just said. I'm impressed. He's learning pretty fast.

As soon as I finished giving him his bath, I took out a small towel and wiped him up, gently. And then I thought of something nice. After I wiped him, I wrapped him in the blanket, with his head sticking out of the top. He just looked so adorable.

I left him on the table, still wrapped in the towel, while I took a bath. I'd rather take a bath here than at home. So when I get there, I'm all set.

**At Dexter's Residence…**

I told the other guys back at the station to watch the whole place. They practically lived there. And they were all single. I was the only guy that lived somewhere else. Pretty much, I'm alone all the time. But now that Alex is with me, I finally have good company.

I opened up the door to my house, and turned on the lights. The place was just how I left it. Tidy and organized. This will be Alex's new home. Although, we might move somewhere else in a few months.

I've been saving up for an application to study Law in the University of Minneapolis Law School. I'm going to miss my buddies back at the station, though. I've been there since I was 20 years old. I'm 23 years old now. Wow. 3 years with the fire-fighting gang. It's been fun.

I stopped thinking about my future plans, as I was going to give Alex a tour around the house. I closed the door and showed Alex around.

"Alex, this is my house. You'll be staying with me from now on. What you see in front of you, is the living room. To your right, is the kitchen. The door in front of us right now leads to the backyard. Want to see it?"

He quickly nodded, as a response. Wow. He really was learning fast. He can actually understand me.

I walked towards the door, with Alex in my arms, still wrapped in that small towel, and opened it. It revealed a snow covered area, with a nice pine tree standing tall. The bushes close to the door had no leaves and flowers. It was the winter season. And they'll grow once spring time hits the state.

"It's not yet much, but it will look livelier when the state hits spring time."

Alex chirped and squealed when he saw the garden. It was enough for him. Simple was enough for my dear friend. I could learn a thing or two from him.

"I'm going to train you how to fly, alright? Don't worry. It won't be that bad. I'll be with you, everywhere we go."

We went back inside the house, went upstairs and into the bedroom.

"This is the bedroom, Alex. This is where we'll sleep during night time."

I yawned all of a sudden. It's been a pretty long day. "Well, I'm bushed from today's work. C'mon. Let's get some shut eye."

I first made sure that all the electricity was turned off. I didn't want to go through another fiery episode.

I scrambled to the bed, and lay down. Alex was on a retracted drawer that I personalized for him, so he can get comfortable as well.

I gave him my message of the night before I went to bed. "Alex, now that you're with me, you'll have a brighter future. We'll go through life together as best buddies, alright?"

Alex chirped in agreement. I smiled and kissed him on the forehead. Pretty quick on our first night as buddies, I know. But I knew that he needed motherly and fatherly care.

"Goodnight, buddy. Sweet dreams." After that, I closed the lamp light, and went to sleep.

**Narrator's POV…**

From then on, Alex lived with his caretaker, Dexter Eisenhower. He spent half another year in the fire-fighting force, and then retired.

He and Alex moved to Minneapolis, and he applied for the Law school, just as he planned. Apparently, his ambition was to go through the ranks of the American government, and become the President of the United States of America.

And his timing was correct too. Alex's species symbolize the United States. And Dexter can see Alex as his motivation. After all, he did promise him that they were going to be buddies forever, after that certain incident.

Once they moved to Minneapolis, Dexter immediately applied for Law school, and took the test. And he passed. Alex was very proud of him. He couldn't wait until he became a governor.

**16 Years Later…**

Dexter Eisenhower went through the position of being a governor of Minneapolis, then a senator. And now, he is the President of The United States of America.

Alex, on the other hand, is now a grown eagle. Throughout the years of being with Dexter, he learned how to write, read, and handle other things like eating utensils. He was also taught how to defend himself, using a gun and a knife, and knowing how to do martial arts. He can do these things with his wings as if they were hands of humans. And since he's always on the president's side, he self-learned how to decipher codes and organize intel.

To make it short, he was influenced with anthropomorphism, allowing him to do things that humans can also do.

This is Alex's new life. His future. He never imagined it to be this way. And he was very thankful for Dexter, the one who took care of him all these years.

But… He doesn't remember his family's passing. Dexter is still trying to hide it from his best friend. He's afraid that Alex is going to freak out and go insane.

Dexter still thinks it's for the best that Alex will not find out just yet. Until he can find a way for him to find out about his past on his own, he decides that he'll keep his mouth shut.

But for how long?

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> That's another chapter done. It took me all day thinking about what to put in this chapter. My head's spinning right now. But then again, there's the effort.

The song that was used in this chapter is "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden. They own the song. Not me.

Anyway, my apologies if this chapter is short, or in short of stuff to say. Please, feel free to review and constructively criticize. And if there's anything wrong with the chapter, give me the heads-up, so I can get the mistakes fixed up. Thank you.


	5. My Life Now And Vacation Plans

Author's Note: Alright. I'll make this as long as I can. This chapter will focus more on Alex, now that he's grown up. So let's get this story moving on, shall we?

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><p>My Life Now... And Vacation Plans<p>

April 4, 2011: 2 Years into Dexter's Presidency; Washington, D.C., White House Oval Office

**Alex's POV**

My life couldn't get any better. Taken care of by my best friend, helping him lead and protect the country and its allies, and best of all, being with him all the time.

I always stay beside him when he's at his desk signing papers, typing down reports of the past events of what the country's been through, coming up with new ideas to make the country better…

Yeah. It sounds boring. But if you were in my place, even back when I was still a kid, you'd love every single moment with him. Cheesy as it may sound, but that's me.

Anyway, I'm just sitting here, in my nice, comfortable cage, perfect for my size. The door was always open for me. Even if I'm secluded from the real nature that's out there, I was free to go around. They knew that I needed to be outside every once in a while. Hell, of course they know. I'm an eagle, for Pete's sake. I need my wing exercise regularly.

Dexter, my best, loyal friend, is off in an international meeting. Man, he's been gone for 3 hours. It's already 4:00 pm, and he isn't here yet. I wasn't allowed to go with him in the meeting because his foreign affiliates might think that I'll cause a ruckus. And I just realized that he's been working for 2 years straight, with no actual vacation. Sure we've been to most of those tropical places around the world, like Hawaii, the Philippines, and many more. But that was before he became president. And I mean it.

I got kind of bored and hungry. So I went out of my cage and went over to the mini refrigerator on the other side of the room. I opened it, and took out some chilled chocolate chip cookies, and some milk.

As I dipped the cookies in the milk and slowly munched on them, of course with a plate underneath, I started to wonder if I was pampered too much. I mean, I live in the White House of Washington, D.C., getting the same kind of protection that my buddy, Dexter gets. He needs the protection more than I do. He already protected me for the past 18 years. So, it's my turn to protect him from whatever crap's thrown at him.

I set the empty plate and glass aside in a tidy manner and flew onto Dexter's desk, looking at the window that's behind the presidents all the time. It was a nice afternoon. There were a lot of trees and bushes in the backyard, a lot of birds were flying around, squirrels were scampering around with their children, humans in the distance were walking or driving their cars home from work, or on their way to work for their night shifts.

I smiled at the peaceful scenery. No trouble going on and about… That's a whole lot better.

I shifted my head to a tree, and I spotted the beautiful Blue Jay that I see every day. She was fixing up her nest and was just about done. She turned back and saw me. She gave me a pretty smile and waved a wing at me. I smiled and waved a wing as well, but in a shy manner. I've always been shy around girls, no matter what bird species they are.

It looks weird, I know. You wouldn't find an eagle falling for a Blue Jay. That's awkward, yes. But she's really nice. I come to think of her as my sister though… even if I never really spoke to her in person. What a bummer…

Anyway, I was suddenly surprised when her smile faded and turned to a look of worry. Pretty soon, she was pointing to her right, which was to my left in my point of view. I looked, and I saw two stones flying to my direction. I flinched when the stones hit the glass. Luckily there were no scratches or cracks. Better that it wasn't broken.

When I looked back on the direction of the stones that were thrown at me, I saw two magpies laughing their butts off. Harry and Kane, I should've known. Those guys have been messing with me for a long time, mostly when Dexter's not around. I'd like to call one of the agents down there and tell him to shoot the magpies, but it's not likely of me to do such things. And he wouldn't be able to understand me anyway.

Frustrated, I swung the panel of the window open and stuck my head out. I was going to give those annoying magpies a piece of my mind.

"Hey! Stop throwing your stones on the windows! You know how expensive it is to get these things replaced!"

Harry and Kane were pretty much ready to answer back. "Aww… What's the matter, 'Alexander'? Too cheap to spend your government money on a chunk of glass?"

"No, but I ought to beat the living daylights out of you right now!"

I wanted to fly out and beat the crap out of them, but engaging them into unnecessary violence is irresponsible and immature. So I backed off a bit.

Then Kane spoke up. "What? Too chicken to go out and settle a fight? Hahaha…"

I still stood on the table. No way am I going to make this into a big deal, especially in front of the Blue Jay, which they saw me look at.

Harry suddenly chimed in with a tease. "Oooohhh… Looks like someone's got a crush on Arlene… Hahaha!"

That's it. They were really getting on my nerves. I didn't want them to embarrass me in front of her. And NO, I do not have a crush on her!

"Hey, now. I don't have a crush on her. I'm just nervous around girls, that's all!"

"Alex and Arlene sitting in a nest, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Gh-HAHAHAHAHA!"

Okay. That, I blushed at out of embarrassment. I couldn't do anything about it. Perhaps I should just shut up and stay in my cage. I can't stand this…

"Guys! Cut the crap, and stop teasing him, alright? What did he ever do to you, huh?"

That voice belonged to Arlene. She was defending me. I had to give her credit for that. She sounded pretty tough when she was scolding the two trouble makers.

"Besides, I already have a mate, in case you two jerks don't know. And even if I didn't, Alex deserves better than me."

'Deserves better than me'. That nearly sent me over the desk. This has been a pretty long afternoon. And I hope Dexter gets here soon enough. I had enough of these magpie jerks. I thanked Arlene for saying such words from her heart. She's good for a friend.

**8:00 pm…**

I just fiddled around with Dexter's laptop, looking up on stuff in the internet. New products of Wal-Mart, new stories that the media posts in the "Yahoo! News", different kinds of things, just to get rid of my boredom. The fuss I had with those magpies didn't really put the flames of boredom out.

While scrolling through the news, the list was suddenly updated. The top part of the whole web page had an article about a certain species of birds that were saved from extinction. Blue Spix's Macaws, to be precise. It intrigued me very much, so I clicked on it and started reading.

This is what the article said.

'A Blue Spix's Macaw was found in Moose Lake, Minnesota, 15 years ago, by an American citizen named Linda Gunderson. Apparently, he was smuggled out of Brazil, and was found in a box.'

'Linda said "I adopted him when I was young because he couldn't survive out in the cold, and he needed love and tender care. I named him Blu, and we went through those 15 together as best friends forever. We're in Brazil right now, and we successfully got him to mate with his female counter-part, named Jewel. They did it out of true love. And I'm very proud that my Blu is now an approved father."'

'A chunk of this contribution was done by a famous Brazilian ornithologist named Tulio Monteiro, as he was the one that convinced Ms. Gunderson to allow Blu to go through the most important part of life. And that's being a father.'

Well, this reminded me of my times with Dexter. All those years of being together will be in my heart forever. But… Since Blu was found in a box after he was smuggled from Brazil, what about me? How did Dexter really find me? I can't really remember, since he said that everything that happened before, was when I was still an infant. A youngling.

Anyway, I feel happy that Blu found the mate of his life.

I put the laptop to sleep and stared outside the window, into the tranquil night of Washington, D.C. I saw Arlene on her tree, and then her supposed mate. I just kept looking at them, as they hugged each other tightly in each other's wings. I smiled and sighed in happiness. They look so sweet together, the Blue Jays. It also seemed that they haven't seen each other in a while.

As they went into the hollow, Arlene suddenly gave his mate a passionate kiss. Pretty much, they soon got into a love session, as they hugged each other while kissing with their eyes closed. The next thing I knew, they were on the floor of their hollow, as their love temperature just got even hotter.

"Woah. Didn't see that coming." I said to myself. I knew they needed private time, so I pulled the window curtains together, so I won't watch them.

I was about to open my cage, when the doors of the office slowly opened. Dexter came in, and he looked exhausted. VERY. He must have had some meeting back there.

I gave a call to him as a greeting. He came over to me and caressed my head and neck with his fingers.

Dexter started a conversation while he caressed me. "Hey Alex, my good 'ol friend. How are you?"

I took out a pen and paper and wrote my message to him. "I'm fine, thank you. What about you?"

Dexter read my reply and answered. "I'm fine as well. I'm just really tired. That meeting was big. A lot of issues were being brought up. Well… These global affairs aren't going to solve themselves now, don't you think?"

I smiled in compliance. Being a president of a country that's involved in a lot of things, good or bad, is truly exhilarating. And since he's tired, I'm going to remind him about one little thing…

I wrote on the paper again. "Hey. It's time you settled down for a while. Why don't you get an actual vacation? You've been working very hard for 2 years straight. You know that."

Dexter read my suggestion. He looked puzzled, but when he looked back at me, I glared at him a bit. He really needed a break. 2 years are long enough. If he doesn't get any real breaks anytime sooner, he himself is going to break.

He probably noticed my glare, because he made his way to the bookshelf and took out a book of countries. He set it on the desk and started flipping through the pages.

"Alright then, Alex. If you really think I need a break, then which country do you think we could go to? We already traversed the whole of the United States. We've been to Hawaii, the Philippines… Where else do you think we could go to, huh?"

I was thinking where we could go to. Then I suddenly remembered the article I was reading. Brazil… Yes. That's it! We could go to Rio. Heck, I might even get a chance to see those Blue Spix's Macaws. I want to personally congratulate them for their children and their love. And besides… Rio also has nice beaches and luscious jungles.

I swiftly went over to the book and flipped to the index of the book, and looked for "Brazil". I eventually found it, and went to the designated page. I pointed at the part of the map that said "Rio de Janerio".

Dexter rubbed his chin, thinking about my choice. "Well… Are you sure?"

I quickly nodded. I really wanted to go. Seeing other exotic birds make me feel nice and free.

"Okay, then. That's settled! As soon as I get these papers done, we'll book a flight to Rio, and pack our stuff for the trip. We could stay there for a good 3 weeks. What do you think, buddy?"

Without hesitation, I ran up to him and gave him a big hug. I'm pretty sure that meant yes to him. I also squealed with joy. I've been doing that when I was still young. It always gets to Dexter.

"Alright, sport. Rio it is." Dexter smiled when he said that, and I smiled back. He's finally getting an actual vacation.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and in came some of Dexter's Secret Service agents. They were really protective of him. Not just because it was their job, but they were also loyal to him. I don't mean to brag, but almost all of America loves Dexter.

"Good evening, Mr. President." One of them greeted.

"Good evening. Corporal. Have you been tending to your duties properly? 'Cause if you're really that loyal to me, as well as the rest of you agents, you guys might as well do your jobs."

The lead agent answered immediately. "O-of course, s-sir. Why would we not?"

Dexter flashed a mischievous smile and teased him. "Oh really? Then let me see today's records then."

In a flash, one of the agents took out a clipboard, containing a bunch of reports. Dexter took the clipboard and leafed through the papers.

"Well… Good job, then. By the way, I'm going on vacation with Alex for 3 weeks, alright?"

"Really sir? Where are you going?"

"Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. If you guys are tagging along just to protect me and all that, fine. But on one condition."

"What's that, sir?"

"You guys will have to be dressed in casual outfits, and not those suits. I mean, you guys deserve the break as well. I've seen you guys working without breaks even with the last president."

That was exactly my point on you, Dex. Man, this guy can forget about himself easily at times. I'm just surprised that he's still alive. Nah… I'm kidding. He's aware about his surroundings more than himself, though.

"So, no extremely serious work when we get to Rio, got it? I want everybody to enjoy the 3 weeks of rest. Start packing tonight. Bring enough clothes, some of your gear… you know what I mean."

Finishing with a deep sigh, he dismissed them.

The lead agent answered… In a serious tone. "Yes sir."

* * *

><p>They eventually left the office. Dexter was practically laughing when they left. Those guys may be loyal. But they sure can be amusing at times. They're sometimes the sources of Dexter's entertainment. And they don't know that. I find them funny as well.<p>

Dexter looked at his desk, seeing a stack of papers that needed reviewing and signing. He stopped laughing and sighed. A president's work never gets easy.

As he sat down on his leather chair, prepping up his pen and papers to read and sign, he looked at me and said, "Alex, as soon as I'm done with all this, let's go back to the room and pack our things. Starting tomorrow, we'll book us a flight to Rio. I'll settle the agents' tickets as well."

I nodded, as I went back to my cage. I decided to take a nap before we go to the presidential suite. It's been quite a long day today.

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><p><strong>Dexter's POV<strong>

Once I get these things done... I'll start packing up for Rio. Although, I wonder why Alex looked excited to go. Perhaps he found something about the country that caught his attention?

I opened up my laptop, and I saw an article that was left open. It was about a certain bird species that had been saved from extinction. Maybe this is what Alex was excited about... Well, that's pretty nice of him to feel happy for the lucky species. In fact, I'm kind of interested in this topic. I guess I can look them up when we get there.

Anyway, while I was reviewing and signing the papers, I glanced at Alex as he fell asleep. He looked so peaceful, just sleeping there with a smile imprinted on his face. Now that's my brave boy. Signing off with a smile on his face, prepared for the next day. I'm glad that he thinks positive about most issues. However... I'm wondering how he'll act if I tell him what really happened to his family.

He might get extremely angry at me for not telling him immediately. Hell, he might even kill me out of his anger. I've never seen Alex go berserk before, so I'm pretty much scared. I can't hide this from him forever, though. It's time that I make him solve this on his own.

Alex may know how to decipher codes, but I know a coding system that I haven't taught him yet. I'm going to write down everything about his past and what happened to his family, in "Dexter's Code". I'll leave this for him to solve while we're in Rio. I just hope he understands why I didn't tell him in the beginning. I just wanted to protect him from extreme sadness.

**10 Minutes Later...**

I placed the codes beside him while he slept. I really hope he understands why I did this.

Anyway, these papers aren't going to review and sign themselves. I'm going to have to do this now. Tomorrow's going to be another long day, I'm sure.

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><p><strong> Author's Note:<strong> I hope this is long enough. Anyway, I'm going to leave a sneak peak on the next chapter. **They'll be in Rio in the next chapter.**

However, I won't tell you what I planned what's going to happen once they get there. That's too much of a spoiler. XD

Reviews and suggestions are open, as usual. Feel free to do so.

And thanks for those who reviewed in the past chapters. Praises and improvement suggestions inspire me very well.

Cheers, and a good day to you all.

Updates to the next chapter might be after a week, considering I have tests next week, from Wednesday to Friday.


	6. New Friends, Arrival, And Now, Danger!

New Friends, Arrival, And Now, Danger!

April 6, 2011: American Airlines; Flight 657, en route to Rio

Two days after making the plans of going on this supposedly lovely vacation, the two buddies were already en route to Rio. Dexter's agents left before them, so they could make a reservation at a nice hotel.

Alex was very excited. He couldn't stay still in his carrier while they were on their way to the airport. Dexter, on the other hand, was worried about two things. One, he's worried that his agents would go over the wall again on the "protection stuff". Two, the codes that he gave to Alex regarding his past.

About that, Dexter didn't tell him the truth about the codes. He lied that the codes meant something important and that he didn't know how to decipher them. Alex gladly accepted the codes, and sure enough, he was having a hard time solving it. Dexter knew that this was a good choice of code usage, and that it should buy him some time.

Before they boarded the plane, they were separated. Dexter stayed in the passenger plane, while Alex stayed in the cargo hold, where all the other animals that were with humans were placed. It was organized, at least. So Alex was comfortable enough.

One thing about the plane though. Dexter didn't want to take a private jet because he wanted to be with the public. And he wanted to socialize with other people than just his guards.

**Alex's POV**

I'm finally on my way to Rio. I can't wait until we get there. I'm about to see a beautiful scenery that I have never seen before. I'm not saying that the scenery back in the United States was dull. I love it there, and I always will. I'm just excited to see different birds. That's all.

It will take about 3 hours before we land. That's going to be a while. But that's not compared to my flight going to the Philippines. It took us about 18 hours to get there. It was the same when going back. My butt started aching in all that plane rumbling, I couldn't fly for 2 days. It made me sore, but the trip was worth it. The Philippines was beautiful.

I hope I didn't forget anything. I checked my inventory again, which was the fifth time I did. I had my utility belt around my waist, which had pockets that held various items like .45 clips, a survival knife, a grenade, a retractable baton, a manually sown American flag replica, and a holstered Colt M1911A1, built for my size. I have these things in order to protect myself and possibly others when in a dangerous situation or two. And when I mean dangerous, I mean REALLY DANGEROUS. As for the flag replica, it's just to remind me where I came from and what my species symbolize.

And since I was considered as an affiliate of the president, I was authorized to bring those following items with me. Then again… What the Hell am I supposed to use the grenade for?

Well, I didn't forget anything after all. I guess I just need to relax now, and wait until we get there.

I turned on my "iPod Touch", connected my headphones and played some *"**Your Favorite Martian**" tunes. My carrier included a small pillow, and some entertaining magazines. And, no, they're not nasty magazines. The Hell would I do with those?

I was just about to relax, when someone went over to my carrier. I couldn't believe my eyes. That guy was a Scarlet Macaw. I paused my music, and asked him who he is.

"Ummm… Who might you be?"

The Scarlet Macaw answered. He had an accent when he spoke. "My name's Lorenzo. Who might YOU be?"

I opened up my carrier so I could stand up. My back started killing me. And I wanted to get a full view of the bird I was talking to. I never really got physically close to an exotic, pretty bird like Lorenzo. Pretty, because of his magnificent color splashes.

"My name's Alex. Alex Eisenhower. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lorenzo." I said as I shook his wing.

He smiled at me, but then looked at my wing as if I was doing something weird.

I asked him what the look was for, still holding on to his wing.

"Uhh… Is there something wrong, Lorenzo?"

"No… No-nothing. It's just that… you're using your wing to shake my wing, instead of using your talons to shake my talons."

I was worried. I didn't know if I insulted him. "Oh… I'm s-sorry. Did I offend you in any way?"

Suddenly Lorenzo's voice shot up as if I surprised him or something.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no! You didn't offend me in any way, Alex. It's just that… normally birds would shake talons rather than wings. It just felt weird that you were greeting me like a human."

So that explained it. He doesn't know I'm anthropomorphic. Well then. I guess it's time to let him know.

"Ooohhhh. Well, if you must know, I'm anthropomorphic. I can do things that humans can do. I'm sorry if I shocked you, or anything."

"Hehe… Don't worry, amigo. It's no problem. I respect your anthro… 'whuddayacallit'".

"Hahaha… It's an-thro-po-mor-phi-sm. And thank you for the reassurance."

"No problemo. Oh. And why are your eyes red? Shouldn't they be yellow?"

"It's an abnormality."

"Oooooohhhh. Well, it kind of looks awesome on you, amigo."

"Thanks, Lorenzo."

Well, I'm glad the awkward moments are over. Pretty much sooner, Lorenzo fired up a conversation.

"So, what brings you on your way to the magical place, known as Rio? A Bald Eagle like you never really goes to places like that. You guys are usually secluded to the United States and Canada."

"Oh, I'm just with my owner. He's the president of our country, and I convinced him to take a break, since he's been working for 2 years straight without real breaks."

I didn't make it sound convincing, because he believed me anyway. Presidents or anybody in high ranks don't really get breaks, and that annoys me. It's… not cool.

"How about you? Where'd you come from? And why are you going to Rio?"

"Well, my companion is American, and he stayed in Brazil for a medical convention. He found me injured on the forest floor while he was taking a jungle walk. He adopted me, and after his convention, he brought me with him to Florida. I have a friend with me in my carrier. She's an American Blue-and-Gold Macaw. My companion thought I would end up mating with her, but it turns out that we would just be good friends. I'm going to Rio because my companion wants to… For the same reasons why your companion's going there."

"So… you're Brazilian?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Well, that was a mouthful. I think it would be fair if I give my full information as well. I was just about to speak, until he asked me another question.

"Ummm… Are you American or Canadian? I know your species symbolizes the United States. But I just want to make my collected information accurate, depending on where you came from."

"Oh, I'm American."

He was satisfied with the info I gave him. But I wasn't. Because it wasn't as specific and full as the one he gave me. I wanted to give it all out, but he started a different topic already. And I didn't want to be rude. Really, he was talkative. And that's good. I needed company.

"Do you have a mate?"

"I don't have a mate."

"Oh. I'm sorry, if I-"

"Don't worry about it, Lorenzo. Speaking of mate, what's the name of the bird that's supposedly with you?"

Lorenzo looked back on the carrier to check on her. Then he answered my question. "Her name's Charlene. And like I said, she's not my mate."

That was embarrassing. I can't believe I forgot that, even if he just told me a minute ago. I was probably just excited.

"Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry. I'm just excited. I've never been to Brazil, that's why."

"Don't worry, amigo. You'll get there." Lorenzo chuckled. He's alright. I'm glad I've made friends with him. If Charlene was awake, I could make friends with her too… But where on Earth are my manners?

"Oh, Lorenzo, why don't you sit down with me? It's fine. Really." I meant it. I really wanted some company. I was kind of lonely.

Lorenzo smiled, and slowly made his way inside my carrier as I guided him. He looked comfortable, at least. My carrier was kind of big, since I'm an eagle. I fluffed up the pillow for him and prepped up a magazine for him to read.

"Wow, Alex! You're quite pampered. You have a pillow, some magazines…" He stopped to pick and point out my iPod Touch.

"And a freakin' iPod Touch! Really, man. True presidential grade! I'm astonished. Meu Deus."

He then looked at me and saw that I was embarrassed. "Oh! I'm sorry, amigo. I didn't mean anything bad."

"It's okay, Lorenzo. But you know, this reminds me of what two jerk magpies did to me last year."

"Really? What did they do?"

"Alright. I'll tell you…"

I was a little embarrassed, overall. I didn't want to look like the rich guy. But, really. This kind of reminds me of how I was picked on by Harry and Kane when 1 year has passed into Dexter's presidency. They nearly spread the word that I was a "President's Bird", because of my lifestyle, my opportunities, my stuff… MY RANK! Actually, I never even had any rank in the government. But that's their point, to make me stand out in front of everybody in a bad way. So I gave them a "nice" gift…

**FLASHBACK…**

"Alex, I'm just going to the Pentagon, alright? Stay here and help the guards watch the office."

Dexter left as soon as I complied. I had the whole room to myself for now. I could go just about anywhere, except anywhere near that window that's behind Dexter's desk. Why? Because Harry and Kane are there!

They always like to pick on me, and they embarrass me in front of the other animals. Especially in front of that beautiful Blue Jay.

My stomach started growling. I saw the plate of cheese sandwiches and fruits that Dexter prepared for me. I wanted to get them, but one thing was stopping me from doing so. And it was that stupid window. What's worse is that one of the window panes are open, and I can hear voices coming from outside.

I don't want to be picked on by those magpie jerks anymore, but I was starving hungry. So I just snuck up to the table, flew up quietly, and slowly extended my wing to one of the sandwiches.

'Yes. Yes. Almost there…' Too late. Someone shouted my name and the voice sounded familiar.

It was Harry and Kane. They were snickering about how idiotic I looked when I tried to grab myself a sandwich.

Harry started taunting me. "Well, well. If it isn't 'Alex McRich-feathers'. Trying to enjoy a nice little snack that your human puppet made for ya?"

I was fuming. Dexter isn't my puppet. He's my companion. Frustrated, I threw my sandwich down on the plate and swiftly turned to Harry.

"How dare you say that? Dexter's not my puppet. If I could, I could just fly out there, and rip your guts out!

*My voice damn well contained venom more powerful than a Cobra's. However, they didn't seem to mind how I yelled. In fact, they started laughing harder than usual.

Kane was the first to laugh. "Oh, dude! You really think YOU could rip our guts out? Wait, wait… Harry… are you getting this? We just caught him and his human-done buffet, in a spacious room, that's built in the White House. This guy's a 'President's Bird'! HAHAHAHA!"

Oh, yeah. Harry was getting this, alright. He started laughing extra hard. I don't know what they intend to do with the visual information they just acquired from me. Then suddenly…

"Hey Harry! Let's tell the other animals how spoiled this iconic sack of feathers is."

"Damn right you are, Kane! Let's fly outta here. I'm pretty sure 'McRich-feathers' is too pampered to chase US!"

That really set me off. Sure, I'm iconic… to the United States. They're SO going to get it.

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING 'SPOILED' HERE? YOU JUST INSULTED MY SPECIES AND MY COUNTRY, YOU PIECES OF SHIT! I'M GOING TO KILL THE BOTH OF YOU SLOWLY!"

The next thing I knew, I busted through the open window pane and started flying towards those 'lucky patrons' of my wrath, with my survival knife clamped on my foot.

When Harry and Kane looked back, their eyes widened, only to see me gaining on them. I'm going to have those two for dinner… not really, though. Cannibalism's gross.

"Oh, God! Kane, he's gaining on us! Fly faster!"

"I'm tryin'! But his size is compensating for ours!"

"English, please!"

"I mean, we're small, he's big, which makes him cover more area as he flies!"

I was getting closer to them. Every fiber of my being made me want to torture them. Seeing their looks of fear, regret and agony as they stare right into my cold, red eyes when I catch them will surely be pleasurable.

After about a minute of chasing them, I finally caught them, cornered against a big tree in the huge garden of the White House. Their backs were slumped on the tree, as they looked at me with extreme fear. They looked like they were about to cry.

As I landed, I picked the knife from my foot and held it on my wing, swinging it in front of them as I flashed an evil smile. I inched closer, licking the blade with my tongue.

Harry and Kane were shivering like crazy. I was waiting for a certain answer from them. If they did so, then I'd leave them.

Harry spoke up first. "Hey, Alex, buddy. Maybe we could talk this out. I mean, you're right about unnecessary violence b-being immature and ir-responsible. So, perhaps we could- ummm… forgive and forget?"

"Harry's right, Alex. Look. We p-promise. We won't tell a s-single soul. Honest."

I was getting really close to them, with more malicious and evil thoughts popping up in my head. This wasn't part of my little trick, but I added it anyway to scare the crap out of them.

"Really? Hahahaha… Well, I don't think I'll be leaving you just yet. The party's just about to start. This is for insulting me and my country. Even if you guys live here… or… Ehh, whatever."

I extended my wings forward, making Harry whimper in fear. And I think he's crying. His eyes are soaking wet. So were Kane's.

When I grabbed the both of them, Harry started crying harder and Kane started begging for mercy.

"Gah! P-please, Alex. D-don't do this to us. Please! We won't do this again."

I growled as I pressed their heads against the tree they were slumping on. They asked for this. This wouldn't have happened if they chose their words properly.

"Please, Alex! Me and Harry are sorry! Really!"

"Now, that's what I wanted to hear. Thank you."

I dropped the knife from the corner of my right wing, and bashed Harry and Kane's heads to each other, knocking them out.

"GARGH!" They both shouted.

As I looked at them, unconscious on the ground, I smiled and chuckled. That's what they get for screwing with the wrong bird. I picked up my knife and flew my way back to the Oval Office, laughing at my handy work.

**FLASHBACK END…**

Lorenzo looked shocked, and at the same time, impressed.

"Meu Deus... I thought you were going to kill them, but instead, bashed their heads against each other, knocking them out cold. That's awesome, really, Alex."

"Thanks. However, even after I did that, they still pick on me. They probably found out that I wouldn't care so long as they don't insult my species and my country. But that's alright. At least they're not offending my species and my country anymore."

Me and Lorenzo must be laughing pretty hard, because another bird appeared in front of my carrier. It must be Charlene, because her feathers looked a bit messy. I think we disturbed her peaceful slumber.

Lorenzo smiled nervously when she looked at him dead in the eye. "Charlene… Uhhh… Hehe.. Did we disturb you?"

Charlene didn't snap back, though. Instead, she answered sweetly. "Oh, no. It's alright. I don't want to be a kill-joy to you and your… friend."

"Oh, Charlene. This is Alex. He's an American like you. Alex, Charlene. Charlene, Alex."

I stepped out of my carrier with Lorenzo and shook Charlene's wing. At least she didn't find anything weird.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlene. Wow… You look pretty today, not minding the messy feathers. You are beautiful, overall."

I might be an over-gentleman at times, especially when it comes to ladies. However, I looked at Charlene, and she started blushing at my comment. It's not like it's "love at first sight". I'm just being a gentleman, that's all.

"Umm… Thanks. You don't look bad yourself too. Well, I never thought I would see a Bald Eagle en route to Rio."

I was about to go over the whole reason why I was going again, but Lorenzo did the talking for me.

"He's with his companion, who's the president of the United States. Apparently, he hasn't had any actual vacation, and worked for two consecutive years, if I'm correct. So Alex convinced him to have one, which is in Rio."

Then I noticed Charlene looking at my utility belt, and what's inside my carrier. "Wow. I guess that explains it. What's with the gun? And how on Earth do you know how to use one?"

"Oh, to protect myself and others. I'm anthropomorphic, you know." I smiled as I said that. I'm proud of being an anthro-eagle. I could do so much things that humans can do as well.

Charlene just grinned back. "Yes, that's nice."

Our conversation broke when a voice rang through the speakers. It was the flight attendant. It was supposed to be for the passengers. But there were speakers in the cargo hold.

Flight Attendant: Attention passengers of American Airlines; Flight 657. We have an estimate of 5 minutes before we arrive in the Rio de Janeiro International Airport. Please turn off all kinds of technology and make sure your seat belts are fastened firmly. Thank you.

I know the drill. "Okay, guys. We can talk later or anytime sooner if we meet again. Let's get back to our carriers."

Lorenzo and Charlene headed to their carrier as they waved good-bye. They were really nice. I'm secretly hoping that they get together. They look good with each other, even if their species are different from each other.

I called out to them as my last reply for now. "Lorenzo! Charlene!"

They looked back on me, and I smiled. "It's nice meeting the both of you!"

They smiled too and said the same thing. "Yeah! We hope to see you again!"

As they disappeared behind the other luggage bags, I went back to my carrier, and braced for turbulence. Man… Again with the plane rumbling…

**At the Rio de Janeiro International Airport…**

When I went through the luggage confirmation section, Dexter and his agents were already there, waiting for me and their luggage as well.

As Dexter retrieved me, he smiled and asked me how the flight was.

I called out happily, to tell him that I enjoyed. I can't wait to tell him that I met two Macaws on board and that I made friends with them.

"Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed. Now, let's go to the front area. The Brazilian president knows of our arrival, so there should be government cars waiting for us."

Then, Dexter turned to his agents and smiled. "Hmmmm… Still wearing suits. Well since the Brazilian government knows that we're here already, at least we'll look formal and official. So I'll let you guys off the condition… for now. But tomorrow and until the end of 3 weeks, casual, got it?"

"Yes sir." Loyal… what did I tell you?

Anyway, we made our way to the front area of the airport, and we were greeted by a Brazilian agent.

"You must be President Dexter Eisenhower. President Esteban is waiting for you. We hope you had a nice flight on the way. Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, meu amigo."

Dexter shook his hand and thanked him for his reassurance of our arrival.

By the time we got out of the chilled airport, we were surrounded by waves of heat! It was really HOT! It's probably 90+ degrees Fahrenheit out here. I'm not a Desert Bald Eagle. I'm a Northern Bald Eagle. Ah, well. What did I expect? It's Brazil. It's supposed to be that way. Tropics, you gotta love them.

We went near the cars as we were escorted to a limousine. As we got closer, a tanned man with a moustache, wearing a suit, came out of the limousine. He must be the Brazilian president.

"Saudações, Mr. Eisenhower! Welcome to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro! We hope you enjoyed your flight."

Dexter shook his hand firmly as he usually does. "Why, of course, President Esteban. But I'm pretty sure that the comfortable flight is just the beginning."

"You are right there, meu amigo. There are lots of beautiful sights to see in Rio. Shall we get a move on and check you in the finest hotel of Rio?

"Certainly."

And then Mr. Esteban looked at me and smiled at me. "Mr. Dexter, may I caress your companion Bald Eagle?"

Dexter quickly nodded. "Of course, Mr. Esteban. Just go easy on him, though. He's shy around foreigners."

Damn right, I was. But when he gently caressed my neck with his warm fingers, I cooed and shivered in comfort. I loved it when humans do that to me.

"How did you get him?"

"I adopted him. And I promised that I'd take care of him and be with him forever. He's my best friend."

"That's very touching, Mr. Dexter. Really. Now, let's get a move on. We don't want to keep you waiting under this heat. I'm pretty sure you Northern Americans prefer the cold over the extreme heat, no?"

"Yes, but of course. We Northern Americans love the tropics as much as we love the cold. Just not too cold, though."

Mr. Esteban laughed as he opened the limo door for us. "After you."

Dexter smiled as he made his way into the limo. "Thank you."

Dexter's agents and a few of Esteban's agents followed, then Esteban himself. As they sat down, he turned on his collar microphone and signaled the lead car that we're good to go.

I counted at least four agency cars surrounding our ride. And since all the agents of Dexter and Esteban are armed with KRISS Vector Sub-machine guns and H&K MP5s, I had no worry. Heck, even Dexter and Esteban were armed with weapons of their own. Dex had his trusty M1911A1 like I did, and Esteban had his FN-57. How did I know? I saw them holstered on their suspenders.

I sat back in my carrier with the pillow behind my back, reading one of my magazines. I did not need to worry about any danger.

**Meanwhile…**

The dark building was isolated, only to be occupied by one of Brazil's most dangerous thugs. The group's boss is already considered internationally wanted for his severe crimes and murders.

A man was running through the dark hallways, and barged into a room which contained his boss, smoking.

"Boss! He's here! The American president! This is a big opportunity for us. And to add the fun, Esteban's with them."

The boss picked his smoke and threw it to the side. "Good. Now we can get rid of the two leaders of two great nations. Where are they now?"

"They're on their way to the Grand Hotel do Rio. They only have four cars escorting them. And we have a whole army guys to take those bastardos down."

"Okay. Get the boys ready. We're going fishing for government tunas today. HAHAHAHA!"

**Back to Alex…**

I was excited to my tail feathers. I can't wait to see the beaches, the jungles, the exotic birds… There's so many things to look forward to.

However, my train of thought was suddenly broken when Esteban told one of Dexter's agents and his to check the road. 'Cause we're stuck in traffic.

The two agents opened up the sun-roof and looked around. They reported that two cars crashed into each other in the middle of the road. Lucky that they didn't go into bigger impacts, because to our left, is the ocean, with a rocky ravine going down.

I just closed my eyes as I decided to take a nap… until it was interrupted by a shout from Dexter's agent.

"Oh shit! RPG! Get us out of here!"

All of us were suddenly alarmed. An RPG? Who the Hell would fire an RPG at us?

My thoughts were broken again, as the driver tried to swerve to the right. And then, I heard an explosion that was really close to us, and the explosion sent the limo to its backside.

I couldn't move. My carrier was flung around. I was flabbergasted by the fact that we would be attacked by terrorists. Why did it have to be now? Why DID it happen, when it shouldn't have?

All the agents were scrambling outside of the lopsided vehicle, and prepared for any shoot-out. And pretty much, there was. I heard someone shouting.

"We got tangos to the right side of that bank! Open fire! And make sure to protect the presidents!"

As an agent pulled Esteban out of the limo, Dexter opened up my carrier and took me out gently.

"Are you okay, Alex?"

I nodded. Although, my head did hurt, since I was flung around.

We all got out of the limo and witnessed an on-going war between the agents and some well-armed thugs, holding AK-47s, G3s and PKMs.

The agents in the four cars went out and started firing as well. Suddenly I heard a grunt of pain that came from Dexter. His rib was bruised badly from the immediate top-siding of the limo.

The area was too hot. If I try to fly, I might get shot. Wait. Why the Hell would I fly? I'm not leaving them here to die by these terrorist bastards.

I was about to take out my gun, but Dexter stopped me and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"No, Alex. I don't want you to get hurt. Worse, get killed! You have to get out of here. Fly over the ocean, take refuge in a nearby jungle, and save yourself. I'm letting you go now. Be free from all this!"

I refused. Why the Hell would I leave him? He took care of me when I needed it. I'm not going to abandon my best friend!

All of a sudden, I saw blood spurt from his shoulder.

"ARGH! Augh, shit!" Dexter yelled as he clamped his wound with his hand and leaned on the lopsided limo, lowering himself slowly until he sat down.

One of his loyal agents witnessed his injury. "Mr. President!"

Those bastards shot him! And yet he wants me to go away from all this? Abandoning him like he was a lost cause?

As the agent went closer to check on the wound, Dexter looked at me again.

I screamed in anger. Dexter knew what my answer was, but he wouldn't take it.

Dexter, still holding on to his shoulder, while he was being covered by the agent, started getting really stern with me. "Alex, listen to me! I can't take care of you anymore! You have to go on without me. I know it's hard, but I don't want to get you killed out here. So get the Hell out of here!"

I still refused. If he's going to get shot all over, I might as well join him. We promised to stick together through thick and thin situations.

But then Dexter shot his good arm at the side of my body and grabbed me, clamping me. He's pretty much pissed off.

"DAMN IT, ALEX! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! LOSING YOU WILL BE A MEMORY THAT WILL BE STUCK IN MY GOD DAMN HEAD!"

I was shocked. He never yelled at me like that, let alone grab me in a threatening fashion. Well, looking around me, he was telling the truth. I could die anytime by these whizzing bullets. But... I didn't want to leave my best friend. The one who took care of me when I needed it. I started to get teary-eyed, and the next thing I knew, I hugged his neck and head.

Dexter was crying too.

"I'm sorry, Alex. Just remember that I love you, and you'll always be my best friend, alright? I may not be around you, but I will be in your heart. Where your family resides."

'Wait. What? My family?' I had no time to think about it, though. Because grenades were thrown and they landed between me and Dexter.

"Oh, shit! Get the Hell out of here, Alex!"

Dexter picked me up and threw me over the side where the rocky ravine was, and he and the agent jumped away from the limo and the grenades.

I lost my flight path, and started tumbling down the ravine, with the rocks bruising me. I realized that I was falling towards water. I can't swim! I didn't want to think that Dexter just killed me. I will never think that. So I braced myself for drowning moments.

But then I felt a hard smack on my right side. It turns out that a wooden plank was sticking out of one of the gaps between a few rocks. The plank snapped, forming a platform that I was flattened on. I fell with it on the water, allowing me to float. Thank God.

I was hurt by all that tumbling and flinging in the limo. As I looked back at the street we were on, it seemed that the grenades exploded. But Dexter was nowhere to be found. I hope he made it… Some vacation. First day, now it's gone to Hell.

I started blacking out from all the bruises and beatings I attained from the ravine. Hopefully, someone will find me, as I float away from the ravine and out into the ocean slowly.

**About an hour later…**

I don't know where I am now. I couldn't open my eyes. I was too tired and aching to move or do anything. My hearing was a little down for now, due to that fire-fight.

All of a sudden, I heard voices. Two male voices and one female voice. The first male voice sounded like a 28 year old bird, the other male voice sounded like he was young, and the female voice sounded elegant.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" The 28 year old voice said.

"I'm sure he will. Let's just wait for him to wake up." The young voice said.

"You know, judging from his species, I think he's American, just like you." The female voice said.

"I guess so. Oh… He's wearing a belt. And he's got a gun. He's probably anthropomorphic as well." The young voice said.

* * *

><p>Meu Deus: My God<p>

Meu Amigo: My Friend

Saudações: Greetings

*Your Favorite Martian: Ray William Johnson's YouTube Cartoon Band

*Venom-contaminated voice: Reference from Rapture at Sea's "Happy Birthday"; When Blu says that he'll kill Jewel for killing his daughter.

**Author's Note: **That's another chapter done. It's pretty long now. And can you guess who's voices those belonged to?

Anyway, when I said that this update would arrive after a week due to the tests, I found some free time. It's the NEXT CHAPTER that will be after a week.

Review and criticize, if you want. Feel free to do so. If anything's wrong, let me know so I can get those said problems fixed.

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't worry... There will be more chapters to come. I can already sense that this story will be pretty long.


	7. The American Visitor, and An Old Foe?

The American Visitor, and An Old Foe?

**A few minutes before the popular avian trio found Alex…**

"C'mon, Blu! You've been in the jungle for 3 months now! And you're still all twitchy about your surroundings…"

"I'm sorry, Jewel. But you've got to understand. You've been in the jungle for your whole life, and I've been in my nice, cozy house with Linda back in Minnesota for MY whole life."

"Aww.. but don't worry amigo. You'll get used to it. And don't worry about your domesticated attributes too. When you get used to the jungle, you will still be able to cope with your human friend."

Blu, Jewel and Rafael (in that order) were taking a nice afternoon walk and flight, while conversing about Blu's little dilemma of living in the jungle. True it is, that Blu has been living in the jungle for 3 months now, but he's still used to his past life, as a domesticated companion of a human, which is not a bad thing. But if he doesn't get used to the jungle life anytime soon, he's going to get himself killed.

Rafael broke the tension by talking about something he heard from afar before he met up with Blu and Jewel.

"Hey, guys. Did you hear something before we saw each other?"

Blu and Jewel stopped flying, perched on the closest branch and looked at Rafael, wondering what he supposedly heard, this time.

"Heard what? Someone screaming from your children's attacks?" Jewel teased.

"Really, Raf. You hear just about anything. You've got a great hearing system, you know." Blu complimented.

But Rafael was serious. "No… the sounds I heard were like gunshots. It came from the direction of the city, a little further from here."

Blu knew that there have been recent criminal activities throughout the city. He's been seeing it all over the news when he's in the sanctuary with Linda and Tulio. His thoughts were flying around his brain, hoping that the criminals won't do any harm to his human companions.

As he pondered in his thoughts, Jewel and Rafael put their wings around him. They knew that he was worried about Linda and Tulio. Especially Linda. And with that, Jewel and Rafael reassured their safety for him.

"Don't worry, my little Blu-berry. They won't fall as victims to those criminals."

"Yeah, amigo. There's what you call "local law enforcement" and the "army". With them around, you don't have to worry… well, if they DO get to the crime scene in time-"

Jewel lightly punched Rafael's wing and whispered. "You're… Not… Helping…"

"Sorry… Hehehe… Just **trying** to help." Rafael said nervously, rubbing his wing.

The three birds flew towards the beach that's located on the far side of the jungle. It was isolated, and humans have not made contact with the beach. So the animals of the jungle had the beach all to themselves. Adoring the beautiful scenery that was held before them, they sat down on the sand.

Forgetting about the fuss they were on a while ago, they just complimented the scenery, with the summer breeze blowing on them. Well, they were in a beach. Avoiding a breeze like this is inevitable when you're in the beach.

Jewel, being the free-spirited bird she is, was the first to admire such beauty.

"Wow! This is perfect. And the summer heat's not getting at us. You see, Blu? This is the reward you get when you're living free in the jungle. But I perfectly understand your domesticated attributes."

Blu smiled. At least now, she does. "Thank you, my Love Hawk."

"Hey, Blu. Do you still love Minnesota, and the life that you had there?" Rafael's curiosity chimed in.

"Of course, Rafael! Rio may be beautiful and all, but I'll never forget the home that I was raised in, especially the one who took care of me my whole life. I hope you, Jewel and the others understand."

"Of course, meu amigo! I respect that. At least Jewel does, too. And we both mean it. Right, Jewel?"

No answer. "Jewel?"

Still no answer. Jewel was looking at the ocean. Apparently, something caught her attention.

"Uhh… guys? I think I see something floating. It looks like… It looks like a…"

Blu was getting worried. What is it that she could've seen? Could it be monsters that live in the ocean? Did the Lochness Monster make its way to Rio? He thinks this because of those movies he watched with Linda years ago. 'Hmph. Me and my imaginations…'

"What, Jewel? It looks like a what?"

"It's… Oh, my God! It's a bird! He's lying on a wooden plank, and he's unconscious! We have to get him before any sea predators catch him!"

Blu's face had shock written all over his face. He hoped that whoever or whatever the bird is, was alright.

"Raf, go check him out, quick!

"No problem, amigo."

And with that, Rafael immediately sprang into action, towards the poor knocked-out bird. As soon as he was over the plank, Rafael observed the bird. It was an eagle. Its species was not common in Brazil. In fact, it was the first time he had seen this kind of eagle.

'What the… What kind of eagle is this? A white-feathered head, a brown-feathered body, white tail-feathers, and yellow feet? Hmmm… Maybe Blu knows what kind of eagle this guy is.'

Without hesitation, Rafael set his talons calmly on the eagle's body, and prepared to carry him over to the shore. He was heavy… But what did the toucan expect? He's an eagle. He's a little bigger than him.

After setting the eagle on the shore, they stood around him, looking worried. Blu checked his pulse points, and sure enough, they were active. They also noticed bruises under his feathers.

Rafael put his wing on under his hip, feeling sorry for the eagle. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

Blu stood up and reassured him. "I'm sure he will. Let's just wait for him to wake up."

As Jewel observed the bird, a theory came to her mind. "You know, judging from his species, I think he's American, just like you."

Blu looked at the eagle's physical traits closely. He thought Jewel was right. He's a Bald Eagle. But then again, they may be wrong. He might've come from Canada, since there are Bald Eagles there too. Jewel probably thought of the United States' symbol as a first reference point. As he looked lower, he noticed that the eagle is wearing a belt.

Answering Jewel's theory, Blu states the oddity of the eagle. "I guess so. He's wearing a belt… And he has a gun. He must be anthropomorphic. This is an uncommon sight. In fact, this is the first time that I've seen a bird with a gun."

Jewel snaps her head at Blu with a confused look. "Anthro-what?"

"An-thro-po-mor-ph-ic. Meaning, he can do things that humans can do."

Rafael was scratching his head. "Is that another thing that doesn't make sense? 'Cause you've been saying things that don't make sense. Like 'Cheese and Sprinkles'."

"I think I still need to teach you a thing or two about English Vocabulary." Blu stated with a chuckle.

Their attention immediately shifted to the eagle when they heard him moan in pain.

**Alex's POV**

Damn… My body's aching like Hell. I wonder who's talking out there. I moaned in pain, as I tried to open my eyes.

My vision was a little blurry when I tried to open my eyes. I caught a glimpse of blue, black, white and orange colors. What on Earth were those? I needed to see what was standing over me. I just hope they aren't hostile. If they are, I might as well hold still.

I slowly rubbed my eyes with my wings. But what they saw when they got a good sight of my eyes made them gasp in surprise. I guess I don't need to tell them that my eyes are red.

The one with the black, white and orange colors spoke to me with concern. "Umm… Sir? Are you alright?"

My vision was recovering faster as I eased the opening and when it did recover, I was surprised to find a Toco Toucan and two blue Macaws standing over me. I kind of let out a shout when I saw them.

"Gah! Wh-wh-who are you g-guys? W-where am I? And are you g-guys hostile?" I even took out my gun and pointed it at them when I crawled away from them. And to tell you the truth, that was embarrassing. VERY EMBARRASSING.

The blue female immediately shot her voice up and tried to calm me down. "Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah! Calm down, sir. We're not dangerous. I swear. Just… lower your gun and we'll explain everything to you, alright?"

I was panting really fast. They surprised me back there. I was also hesitating to lower the gun. I'll never know if they're hostile or not. I mean, when I lower the gun, they might pounce on me and start beating me and clawing me.

Then, the blue male guaranteed my safety with them. "Please, sir. Just put the gun down. We won't hurt you. We promise."

I started to calm down, and lowered my gun. I put it back in the holster, and placed my wings on my face. I couldn't believe I just threatened exotic birds. I feel so ashamed. And then I remembered Dexter. He let me go for good. I don't think I'll ever see him again. I started crying weakly.

"God damn it. This was supposed to be a vacation, not a nightmare. What the Hell did I do to deserve this?"

The three birds slowly went over to me, although fearing that I might point my gun again. Well, I didn't. They were nice birds. They weren't going to try and kill me.

"It's alright. I'm not going to shoot you guys. I was just scared back there. I'm sorry. Anyway, I'm Alex. Alex Eisenhower. I'm supposedly a tourist here."

The toucan and the two blue birds introduced themselves as well. "Hello. I'm Rafael. My friends here are named Blu and Jewel."

Blu… Jewel… They're the ones that fell in love together and therefore saved their species. I was supposed to be excited. But after what happened to me and Dexter… I couldn't even smile like I usually do. Hell, I'm not even sure if Dexter's alive.

I just stood up from the sand and gave them a weak grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you three."

I held my wing out for them to shake. Blu was the one who saw this as a normal thing. But Rafael and Jewel looked at me with weird looks. Those looks again… Reminds me of Lorenzo.

I was supposed to clarify my anthropomorphism, but Blu got it for me. "Guys, Alex is anthropomorphic. I'm a bit anthropomorphic as well, since I lived with Linda my whole life."

He then turned to me and smiled. "Don't worry Alex. They're just not used to the human ways, that's all."

"Thank you, Blu. All of you thank you, for saving me. I can't swim, that's why. Uhh… Who specifically did that?"

Rafael chimed in proudly. "I did, meu amigo. We didn't want to leave you out there and get eaten by the sea predators. Although, Jewel was the one who spotted you. She's got an eye, there. Hehe…"

"I really appreciate that, guys. If only I could repay you…"

Then Jewel interrupted my proposition. "No need, Alex. However, you could repay us by telling us how you ended up in the middle of the ocean. That includes why you're here in Rio, because, I haven't seen an American like you around these parts. Except for Blu, 'cause he's American."

I smiled. She actually has interest in what a guy like me has been through. I think my friendship with these three will be awesome. I gathered them around and agreed to tell them my story of how I got here.

"Alright, I'll tell you. You see, my owner, who is also my companion, is now the president of the United States of America. His name is Dexter Eisenhower. I've been with him for 18 years already. He has been working really hard as the president of such a big country. In fact, he's been working for 2 years straight, with no actual break. So, I convinced him to take a break. I chose Rio for him after I read that article about you two over the internet."

Blu, Jewel and Rafael were convinced and interested. I didn't know they would be this intrigued.

Then Jewel asked me a question. That ONE question whose answers will haunt me now because of those… damn terrorists.

"So you're on vacation with him. How did you two get separated?"

I hesitated to tell them. But the looks on their faces told me that I should tell them. It's going to be hard, but I guess I can't back out from this.

"If you really must know…"

**An Hour Earlier… As Alex explains what really happened…**

"Oh shit! RPG! Get us out of here!"

All of us were suddenly alarmed. An RPG? Who the Hell would fire an RPG at us?

My thoughts were broken again, as the driver tried to swerve to the right. And then, I heard an explosion that was really close to us, and the explosion sent the limo to its backside.

I couldn't move. My carrier was flung around. I was flabbergasted by the fact that we would be attacked by terrorists. Why did it have to be now? Why DID it happen, when it shouldn't have?

All the agents were scrambling outside of the lopsided vehicle, and prepared for any shoot-out. And pretty much, there was. I heard someone shouting.

"We got tangos to the right side of that bank! Open fire! And make sure to protect the presidents!"

As an agent pulled Esteban out of the limo, Dexter opened up my carrier and took me out gently.

"Are you okay, Alex?"

I nodded. Although, my head did hurt, since I was flung around.

We all got out of the limo and witnessed an on-going war between the agents and some well-armed thugs, holding AK-47s, G3s and PKMs.

The agents in the four cars went out and started firing as well. Suddenly I heard a grunt of pain that came from Dexter. His rib was bruised badly from the immediate top-siding of the limo.

The area was too hot. If I try to fly, I might get shot. Wait. Why the Hell would I fly? I'm not leaving them here to die by these terrorist bastards.

I was about to take out my gun, but Dexter stopped me and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"No, Alex. I don't want you to get hurt. Worse, get killed! You have to get out of here. Fly over the ocean, take refuge in a nearby jungle, and save yourself. I'm letting you go now. Be free from all this!"

I refused. Why the Hell would I leave him? He took care of me when I needed it. I'm not going to abandon my best friend!

All of a sudden, I saw blood spurt from his shoulder.

"ARGH! Augh, shit!" Dexter yelled as he clamped his wound with his hand and leaned on the lopsided limo, lowering himself slowly until he sat down.

One of his loyal agents witnessed his injury. "Mr. President!"

Those bastards shot him! And yet he wants me to go away from all this? Abandoning him like he was a lost cause?

As the agent went closer to check on the wound, Dexter looked at me again.

I screamed in anger. Dexter knew what my answer was, but he wouldn't take it.

Dexter, still holding on to his shoulder, while he was being covered by the agent, started getting really stern with me. "Alex, listen to me! I can't take care of you anymore! You have to go on without me. I know it's hard, but I don't want to get you killed out here. So get the Hell out of here!"

I still refused. If he's going to get shot all over, I might as well join him. We promised to stick together through thick and thin situations.

But then Dexter shot his good arm at the side of my body and grabbed me, clamping me. He's pretty much pissed off.

"DAMN IT, ALEX! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! LOSING YOU WILL BE A MEMORY THAT WILL BE STUCK IN MY GOD DAMN HEAD!"

I was shocked. He never yelled at me like that, let alone grab me in a threatening fashion. Well, looking around me, he was telling the truth. I could die anytime by these whizzing bullets. But... I didn't want to leave my best friend. The one who took care of me when I needed it. I started to get teary-eyed, and the next thing I knew, I hugged his neck and head.

Dexter was crying too.

"I'm sorry, Alex. Just remember that I love you, and you'll always be my best friend, alright? I may not be around you, but I will be in your heart. Where your family resides."

'Wait. What? My family?' I had no time to think about it, though. Because grenades were thrown and they landed between me and Dexter.

"Oh, shit! Get the Hell out of here, Alex!"

Dexter picked me up and threw me over the side where the rocky ravine was, and he and the agent jumped away from the limo and the grenades.

I lost my flight path, and started tumbling down the ravine, with the rocks bruising me. I realized that I was falling towards water. I can't swim! I didn't want to think that Dexter just killed me. I will never think that. So I braced myself for drowning moments.

But then I felt a hard smack on my right side. It turns out that a wooden plank was sticking out of one of the gaps between a few rocks. The plank snapped, forming a platform that I was flattened on. I fell with it on the water, allowing me to float. Thank God.

I was hurt by all that tumbling and flinging in the limo. As I looked back at the street we were on, it seemed that the grenades exploded. But Dexter was nowhere to be found. I hope he made it… Some vacation. First day, now it's gone to Hell.

I started blacking out from all the bruises and beatings I attained from the ravine. Hopefully, someone will find me, as I float away from the ravine and out into the ocean slowly.

**Present Time… After explaining…**

All of them were shocked. They couldn't believe that something like that just happened. Even I couldn't. Dexter and I just wanted a nice vacation, and this is what we get? An unexpected attack from terrorists?

Then they noticed that I was getting teary-eyed. The thought of Dexter just tears me apart. First, I never got to know what really happened to my family, and then I lose my best friend. I don't know how things can get any worse.

I lowered my head in sorrow, trying to hold back the tears. However, I couldn't. I didn't want to cry in front of my new friends. That would be embarrassing.

I was surprised when Blu walked over to me and put his wing on my shoulder. And so did Jewel and Rafael. I really am glad to have met them. If I didn't, I might as well be food to the sea predators.

Rafael was the first to speak. "It's alright, amigo. There's no need to cry. We're here for you."

Blu also reassured for me. "Yeah. We'll stick together through thick and thin situations, just like what your friend, Dexter, promised you."

Jewel cheered me up too. "That's right. If anything's to happen to you, we'll be there."

I couldn't help but cry a bit more. But it was all out of happiness. First day of meeting them, and they tell this to me. I'm very grateful for them. I really am.

"Oh, thank you so much for your words of reassurance and friendship, guys. It really means a lot to me."

And with that, I stood up and breathed in the tropical air of Rio. I feel a lot better, thanks to my new friends. And Dexter's right. He let me go, so I guess I should let him go as well. But then I remembered the codes he gave me so I could solve them…

"Oh, I just remembered. Dex gave me a few codes that I need to solve. Too bad I won't be able to tell him what they mean. And at least they didn't get wet."

I took out a folded sheet of paper that had a long paragraph of codes. I still didn't solve any part of it. It was really hard. And when I looked at Jewel and Rafael's faces, they were appalled. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hehe… Hard, isn't it?"

But Blu seemed to be interested. In fact, he kept looking at it. I looked at him and smiled, as I motioned the paper towards him. And he was surprised.

"Care to help me with these, Blu? I could have another wing to help me out with this."

"What? Me? Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. I might make a mistake, and mess the data. I might even send your government down to the pits of the underworld if I do that."

"Oh, it's alright, buddy. That won't happen. We don't even apply the translated data immediately. The government goes through a lot of time translating them using different code deciphering processes, and if the translations of all the processes are equal, or at least close enough, that's when we apply the data."

Once again, Rafael's curiosity chimed in again. "Seems like a lot of hard work. Do most of you go through these kinds of things from where you come from?"

"Just the data analyzers and scientists. Some of the agents help out though."

I was just about to take a pen out of a pocket from my belt, when Jewel started pushing me, Blu and Rafael into the jungle.

"Now, now, boys. No serious work for now. We have a visitor here, and that's Alex. Now, why don't we give him a tour of the jungle, shall we?"

I was hesitating because I'm used to pine forests, not tropical forests. Who knows what kind of predators lie in there? Well, since my new friends live here, I trust them enough.

Going in, that's when Jewel and Rafael introduced me to the jungle. "Welcome to the jungles of Rio, American!"

"Uhhh… You can just call me Alex."

Blu and I were giving them weird looks and pretty much the other two were embarrassed. "Hehe… Right. Sorry."

**Deep in the jungle…**

"Ouch!"

"Watch your step, Alex. Being the toucan I am right now and having to guide you through the jungle is hard enough."

"I'm sorry. I just stubbed my toe on a root that was sticking out of the ground."

We were walking through the jungle. I was wondering why we weren't flying. I mean, flying won't hurt anybody. Perhaps I should ask why.

"Hey, guys. Why aren't we flying? I mean, it would be a lot easier to go around the jungle by flying, right?"

Blu looked at me with concern. "What, and get your head smacked by a branch or bump into another tree? I don't think so, Alex. It will take time to get to know the jungle. And we can start off by walking. Besides, we know the area pretty well, especially Jewel and Rafael. I, on the other hand, am still trying to get used to it. So we're on the same page, okay?"

I nodded. At least there's someone like me that lives in the jungle. Looks like I'm not alone after all. Anyway, we continued traversing through the jungle floors, passing by huge trees and many bushes. We even passed a beautiful river. I could get used to this. I might stand out of everybody in this jungle, since I'm the only one that completely doesn't know how to live in a real jungle.

It was kind of quiet, so I decided to put in a sweet, new joke I just thought of.

"Where are we exactly headed anyway? Anyone got a jungle map? 'Cause I'm 'lost in Rio'. Get it? Huh? Get it?"

I meant the movie of *"**Home Alone 2: Lost in New York**". Everyone stopped and looked at me with a look that says "Uhh… Excuse me?".

"Get it? Because, instead of being in New York, we're in Rio, and that we're lost? Hehe… hehe… heh- Awww, I suck at these things." I face-palmed myself. That didn't work out the way I expected it to be.

Blu just chuckled. "You need to work on that more. You might get a lot of other birds to throw fruits at you."

Well that scared me. I don't want to be humiliated in front of the whole jungle, let alone be smothered in fruits. I don't want to be sticky all over my feathers.

Well, we just kept walking. I noticed that there weren't a lot of exotic birds flying around. I don't think smugglers would be lurking around. Otherwise I have another criminal gang to deal with.

"Why aren't there many birds, Rafael? I thought Rio was full of them?"

Rafael was wondering about that too. Not a single squawk, chirp or greeting came from any other bird that was usually around the jungle. I hope nothing bad happened to them.

As we walked through the jungle, we started hearing noises, like they were coming from a crowd. An angry one, that is. Then our minds were flabbergasted when we heard a cry of help.

"HELP! PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME! I WASN'T EVEN DOING ANYTHING TO YOU PRETTY BIRDS!"

The voice sounded British. And he really needed help. I knew what I needed to do.

"Guys, you heard that! We need to help whoever's getting pummeled out there. C'mon!"

Blu and I started to run to the direction of the cry, but when we turned around, Rafael and Jewel weren't moving. What? Did the cry make them deaf or something?

I was immediately irritated. I never saw anyone ignore a cry of help when I was back in America. So why were the other two looking like they didn't care?

"Hey! You guys heard that, right?" I was about to yell my lungs out.

Just when Jewel was about to speak, I heard the cry again. "I WAS JUST GETTING FRUITS! I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO SMUGGLE YOU GUYS ANYMO- AARGH! DAMN IT!"

I looked back at Jewel and Rafael. "WELL?"

Blu answered for me instead. Yeah, that's right. I needed answers right away. "You see, that voice belongs to an old enemy of ours. He did a lot of bad things to me and a lot of others, including Jewel and Rafael."

"Well, friend or foe, I'm not allowing anyone to be beaten up like that!" I darted away from them and followed the noises. I can't believe that. Leaving someone to suffer like that is something that I'll never allow to happen.

Then I heard them shouting. "Alex, wait!"

Too late. I already busted through the thick bushes and I saw something that I couldn't believe what was happening.

A large group of exotic birds like Scarlet Macaws, Blue-and Gold Macaws, Toco and Keel-billed Toucans, and many more, were beating a single Sulfur-crested Cockatoo to a pulp. He was bruised pretty badly, as I saw them on some patches of skin that his white feathers once covered. He was also bleeding through the nostrils on his beak and his left eye. He was wincing in pain, holding his pained gut as he was getting kicked and punched around. Hell, I even saw one of the birds ready a sharp talon. I knew what I had to do.

I barged through the group of birds, pushing them aside and telling them to get out of my way. As soon as I got to the middle of the arena, I knelt down and started resuscitating the poor Cockatoo.

Then a voice shot up from the crowd. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm helping him. What do you think?"

"What, are you his affiliate or something? Because if you are, we'd be happy to beat you as well."

"BULLSHIT! THIS POOR COCKATOO WAS JUST GATHERING FRUITS AND YOU GUYS BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!"

I was getting infuriated with these guys. I thought that they wouldn't hurt anybody. Well, this Cockatoo must've done something really bad. It's probably connected to what Blu was talking about. And with what luck, they came up from behind me.

"Alex, I suggest you leave them alone!" Jewel screamed. But I wouldn't listen.

"NO! I'm not going to let this bird get beaten by these guys. Never!"

Suddenly, a Spoon-billed Bird went up to me. "You don't understand anything about what he's done to us."

He hissed at me as he pressed his pointing feather on my chest. "And maybe you never will… American."

I just stood there and glared at him with my red eyes. I am not leaving the Cockatoo to get beaten up, even if it means that I have to get beaten up as well.

After 30 seconds of grave silence, the Spoon-billed Bird asked me who I was. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Alex Eisenhower. I'm a Bald Eagle, and I want to point it out to all of you, that beating this poor bird won't get you anywhere."

Then I pointed a feather to Blu, Jewel and Rafael. "That includes you guys too."

I looked back on the Spoon-billed Bird and asked him his name. "What about you, a-hole? What's your name?"

"My name is Kipo. I've been a victim of this bird that you're protecting, you know. In fact, we all are!"

"Victim? What did he do to you guys?"

"He helped a few humans try to smuggle us. And he did more than that, just to get to us. Which is why we are beating him up. Revenge never tasted so delectable, no?" Kipo finished as he folded his wings.

"Am I right, birds of Rio?"

"YEAH!" And they damn meant it too.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing. I know they have been through trouble with this Cockatoo. But taking revenge isn't going to make anything better. I just glared at him as he gave me a somewhat victorious smile.

Then Rafael went in. Finally! Maybe this guy could talk some sense into these guys.

"Now, now Kipo and company. There's no need to start a blood bath here. Besides, our new friend, Alex here, has a point. Revenge isn't going to do anything but cause more trouble. So, just let Nigel go. He doesn't deserve anymore beatings. You all had your fair share of revenge. So, please. Just let him go, for your good 'ol Rafi. Please?"

I felt better about Rafael. He looked like he knew everybody in this scene. And… the Cockatoo's name is Nigel? Wow, that's a nice name.

Anyway, I went back to checking on Nigel while Rafael settled the whole situation with the others.

"Hey, Nigel. Are you alright?" I said as I put my wing on his shoulder.

"Th-th-thank y-you, Alex. I d-don't know h-how I c-could repay you for your b-brave action."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, buddy. You may have done bad things to these birds, but everyone deserves a second chance. Here, let me help you up. We need to get those wounds cleaned."

However, as I was already getting him to stand and put his wing over my head so I could support him, I got caught by one of the other birds and sure enough, he yelled as he threw a stone on Nigel's limp leg.

"AARGH!"

The next thing I knew, Nigel fell to the ground again. He put one of his wings on his leg, trying to ease the pain.

"Damn it! Haven't I been through enough for one day?"

I was definitely pissed off. These birds need a lesson that they'll never forget.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" I yelled as I turned to face the other birds.

Rafael got mad too. "HEY! WHO DID THAT? ANSWER ME! WHO DID THAT?"

Kipo, on the other hand, glared at me again, and clenched his wings like fists. Although, he answered me in a calm but dangerous manner.

"Look, Alex. You'll be able to leave unscathed if you just hand over Nigel. You'll never hear from us again, okay?"

Raf was getting worried. It looked like a bloody fight was about to start.

As Kipo inched closer to Nigel, I heard him whimper. I definitely made my stand. He crossed the line, big time! I took out my retractable baton, gave it a 360 degree spin and pressed the button on the metal grip, releasing the baton with a deadly click, and readied my fighting stance.

"YOU LAY A FEATHER OR A TALON ON HIM, AND YOU'LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN, YOU HEARTLESS, SPOON-BILLED BASTARD!"

Everyone, including Rafael, Blu and Jewel gasped in surprise. Again, my voice was contaminated with venom more powerful than a Cobra's, just like the time I got angry at Harry and Kane.

Kipo stood there, speechless. He probably thought that I would really let him have it if he touched Nigel. He got what he deserved. All I'm waiting for now, is for him and his gang to leave.

"That goes for all of you too. Don't even think about touching him." I growled, beaming my red eyes to all the birds that hurt Nigel.

"Please, Kipo. Just… leave. All of you." Rafael sounded really irritated.

"But, Rafi, you're going to let this American get Nigel away from what he's do-"

"JUST GO, NOW!"

Kipo and the others flinched in fear. They probably never saw him so angry before. Well, that's what they get for screwing with the wrong birds.

Kipo eventually gave up. "Okay. I'm sorry, Rafi. Just keep an eye on that fiend, including the American. They might become trouble in the future."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

As the other birds flew off, I retracted my baton, kept it in one of my belt pockets, and helped Nigel up from the ground. I scoffed when I thought about those birds, especially Kipo. If there's going to be any trouble, it's probably going to be from him.

"Alright, Nigel. Let's get you some fruits, herbs and some water. You need to get some rest, after what those jerks did to you."

Nigel tried to smile. I understand if he can't. After all, his beak was injured as well. He also started crying weakly. No one has ever probably stood up for him like that.

I called the other three. "Rafael. Blu. Jewel. Let's give him a chance, alright? I already know what he did, but everyone deserves a second chance. I know it will be hard to trust him. But believe me. I'm sure he will become a great friend in the future. What do you guys say?"

They thought about it carefully. Blu and Rafael looked like they were all for it. However, Jewel looked hesitant.

"I don't know… What if he-"

I stopped her there. I understood how she's feeling. "Don't worry about it Jewel. I'll make sure to watch him in a friendly manner."

I then, turned to Nigel, who I was supporting on my body. "You won't go against us, right?"

Nigel nodded weakly. I smiled as I supported him. I'm very sure that he'll turn out fine.

Rafael went in front of me and said, "Well, we need to find you and Nigel a hollow pretty soon. All that arguing back there got time to go ahead of us. So, let's get a move on, shall we? And let's find Nigel the stuff he needs as well."

Blu patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about what happened back there between you and Kipo. That won't happen again. And I'm glad you stood up for Nigel."

I was happy that Blu and Rafael were willing to give Nigel a second chance. As for Jewel, I'll try to get her to be more confident about the issue.

**Nigel's POV**

I'm glad that they gave me a second chance. I never thought that something like that would happen. I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I was still given one. Those pretty birds a while ago were right. But why did I still react? Because I was scared. Even if I know that this second chance that was given to me by this random, but kind and brave American, by the name of Alex Eisenhower, is something that I didn't deserve, he still gave it to me. He even tried to convince the other three to give me a second chance.

I am grateful for him, and I will always be, forever. He got the two males to give me a chance, but the female will be a challenge for sure. But I don't need to worry. I know what I have to do, and I know what I want to do: Be a changed bird for good!

**Jewel's POV**

I still don't trust him. I don't know if Alex knows what he's doing, but I think I need to watch him as well. Not just for giving Nigel a second chance, but also for being closely related to a human who is the president of the United States. I don't want him getting all government type on me. I mean, what if he kidnaps us and brings us there for experimenting? Hmph. I guess I shouldn't be worrying about that. I'm starting to think that Alex would never do that.

Still, I have to keep an eye on him and Nigel.

* * *

><p><strong>* Home Alone 2: Lost In New<strong> **York ; **Doesn't belong to me. I forgot who it specifically belongs to. My apologies.

**Author's Note: **When I said that the next chapter (which is this one) will be in after a week due to my final exams, forget that. I found a way to get around the problem. I would study in the day, and do my stories in the night. Clever, eh?

Anyway, now you know who those voices in the last part of the previous chapter belonged to. And Nigel's on their side now. Jewel still doesn't trust him though.

I'm sorry if the swearing in the argument between Alex and Kipo is disturbing you. Like I said in the introduction: The story will be true to the characters' emotions.

Feel free to review and criticize. And I hope you enjoy this chapter. More chapters are to come to this story in the future.

Thank you. :D


	8. Acquiring the Spix Princess' Trust

Author's Note: A part in this chapter involves alternating speeches. It's on the "**Via the recording process**" and the "**Back to the recording process**" sections. It starts off from Nigel, then to Jewel, and then back to Nigel, and then back to Jewel. I'm sure you know the drill.

Anyway, without further ado, I give you Chapter 8! :D

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><p>Acquiring the Spix Princess' Trust<p>

It was the first time that Nigel ever got scared by the ones he calls "pretty birds", and they were his victims during his reign of terror. When Alex acquired every detail of what Nigel did in the past, he was surprised at first, but felt no anger. The past is done, and what he said before is something that he will always follow; everyone deserves a second chance. And Alex could see the determination in Nigel's eyes. He really wanted to change. It will be difficult, yes, especially gaining everyone's trust. However, if people really want Nigel to be different, then they better help by giving him the chance to prove it.

Alex put the bowl of herbal medicine next to Nigel, as he lay down beside him on a somewhat rough nest. They only had little time to make it, but they agreed to make it better in the upcoming days.

He removed his belt and hung it on a small, protruding piece of wood that was in the hollow. As he hung it, Nigel moaned in slight pain. The herbal medicine was excruciating for him when it was being applied. Rafael and Blu had to subdue him just so he could hold still. His talons grated Alex's chest in the process by accident, which he did not mind so much. After all, he was flinging his legs around due to the pain.

He patted Nigel's shoulder as he slept, confident that he will be able to gain everyone's trust in no-time. The first and the best start is no other than Jewel.

It's pretty clear that Jewel doesn't trust Nigel, probably even Alex. However, trouble may get into play if one wrong move is committed, and it may lead to the ostracism of the trust-deprived Cockatoo, who is majorly responsible for the previous violent bird-smuggling activities, and the determined Bald Eagle, who is a new bird to the country and its luscious jungles.

Will Nigel be able to gain Jewel's trust and do the same for, practically, the whole jungle? And will Alex be successful in helping him do so? Or will they be ostracized because of one small, but terrible, wrong move? All the answers to those mysteries lie in their path, as they will be the ones driving the operation vehicle.

**Alex's POV**

He's sleeping soundly now. That's good. His pain is not going to be a problem for the night, then. I don't know about MY pain, though. His talons gashed my chest while I was applying the herbal medicine on his wounds. Oh well. It will probably fade away by tomorrow. If there's anyone to blame for his injuries, it's those pathetic birds that beat him up a while back. And I can't believe I just called some exotic birds "pathetic". Oh well… again. That's not my problem. It's theirs.

I put my wings behind my head, serving as a pillow. The nest was pretty rough. It's like laying your head on a plate of needles. It's either because we only had little time to make it, or I'm just not yet used to it. Well, like what Blu said; it's going to take time to get used to the jungle… As well as getting used to the birds that I confronted.

I need some sleep… Maybe some tunes will set me down.

I took out my iPod Touch and played **"Friend Zone", by "Your Favorite Martian"**. I really love that song. Although I never experienced being friend zoned. I'm pretty sure it's painful to the heart.

Minutes into the song, I was starting to feel a little woozy. I won't forget to set the timer, though, so it will shut itself down. I don't want its life to deplete overnight.

As I slowly drifted off into a peaceful slumber, I mumbled, "Good night, Dexter. I hope you're okay."

* * *

><p>I woke up to Nigel yawning quite loudly, accompanied by some chirping from other birds that were outside. I yawned as well, stretching my wings up to the limit until I heard a pop on my shoulder, which felt pretty good. I sat up while rubbing my eyes and greeted Nigel pleasantly.<p>

"Top of the morning to you, Nigel."

However, little did I know that Nigel was back to his usual temper, which was the one that he used when he was still "evil"… With no harm intended of course, just being himself. "Yeah, hey."

I didn't mind that at all, so long as he's willing to change into a good bird, and gain everyone's trust. I placed my wing on his shoulder to pat, but he probably saw it coming, because he hissed a bit and nudged my wing away.

"Don't get all touchy, now, Alex! I don't require any reassurance right now, if you must know."

"Well, excuse me for trying to help you into changing like you wanted." I chuckled. Today is probably going to be a long day.

Nigel sighed in a bit of annoyance, and gratefulness. I guess he can't manipulate his thoughts of being himself and having to be grateful for someone who saved him from being pummeled to a bloody, feathery pulp. Eventually, he apologized for his reply.

"I'm… sorry for my imprudence. I didn't mean to snap at you like that, considering that it's the start of the day."

I just looked at him with a smile. "What? Did you expect to have a consequence for snapping at me like that? Calm down, buddy. You're not being imprudent. You're just… being yourself, that's all. I know that deep inside you, you care for what your actions may bring you to, and tha-"

Nigel looked at me weirdly as he put his wing tip up, signaling for me to stop talking. "You're making me feel too… Oh, how should I put this? Ah! Mushy. Yes, let's stick with that."

I chuckled again as I walked over to where my belt was hanging. Yup… today is definitely going to be a long day. Speaking of today, I remember planning something special for Nigel. I conversed with Rafael and Blu last night, before they left for their hollows. We planned to set up a personal meeting for Jewel and Nigel, so they can get together as friends and put the past behind. I just wonder… How is Nigel going to react? More importantly, how is Jewel going to react?

My thoughts were penetrated when Nigel asked me a question. "What are today's plans on the schedule, if I may inquire?"

I answered as I put on my belt and did an inventory check. "That's… for you to find out. However, I'll leave you on a little cliffhanger. Blu, Rafael and I planned something special for you. We're going over to the nearby lake. That's where today's special events will take place."

I think Nigel saw my mysterious, but excited smile, because a few seconds after my reply, he already has me slumped on the wall of the hollow, with his chest nearly touching mine, his eyes glaring at me. I don't know if I should be scared, or if I should laugh and get it over with.

"And… what IS this plot of yours and those pretty birds, hmm? It better not be anything 'funny' because I'll definitely show you 'funny' if something 'funny' actually does occur."

"Hehe… Don't worry, Nigel. Nothing bad will happen to you. I'm calling it special because it IS special… for you and a certain someone, that is. I won't tell you who that someone is. But… enough talk now. Let's get some breakfast on the way to the lake. My stomach's killing me."

And before Nigel could even reply, I motioned him towards the hollow's entrance and prepared to fly. I don't think I'm going to bump into a tree today… or a branch.

**A few minutes later…**

We were looking for fruits for me and Nigel to munch on. My kind normally prefers fish, but I spent nearly my whole life living with Dexter, as he introduced new kinds of food to me. I miss eating steak, cheese sandwiches, salads… But life will never be the same because I'm separated from him.

Anyway, while Nigel and I were flying, our eyes caught sight of something yellow in the distance… probably a mango. And what luck! There were plenty of them, and I love mangoes. I could just grab one and savor the juices and the sweet flavor.

I turned my head to Nigel as I flew forward. "Hey, Nigel, there's some mangoes on that tree up ahead. They're pretty big too. They should be enough for our stomachs, don't you think?"

"Probably so. Look, let's just get a few mangoes, and then get your 'special surprise' over with. The suspense is tormenting me badly."

Looks like he's falling into the set-up that me and my friends organized… Just the way I like it. "Wow! Looks like someone's excited today, huh? Haha-"

"Alex! Watch your front!"

"Wha- AAH!" It was too late, though. I had not heeded Nigel's unexpected warning at the right time. The moment I looked to my front view, I bashed my head onto the branch of the mango tree I was eyeing a while back. The blow was pretty strong. It felt like I was shot in the head… sort of. Soon enough, I found myself on the ground, lying on my chest.

I put my wings on my head, rubbing the aching part and moaned in sheer pain. Nigel landed beside me and knelt down, as he tried to help me up. "Learn how to keep your eyes on the 'road', Alex. You could have cracked your skull in that blow."

Yeah, he was right on that one. My head was throbbing so bad, that I was really dizzy. It made me want to vomit my airport lunch. "I'm… s-sorry. I can get clumsy at times…"

Nigel snickered as he picked me up by my wing and back-side. "Well, I hope you didn't shoot anyone back from where you came from, if you really tend to be a klutz at certain moments."

As I was helped back up to my feet, still rubbing my aching frontal lobe, I began to slowly walk towards the same mango tree whose branch is the one I collided into. Placing my right wing on the base of the tree, I moaned in pain once more. Then, I heard some flapping sounds… from what sounded like wings. When I opened my eyes and turned my head around, Nigel was gone.

"Nigel?" No answer. Where could he have gone to?

"Nigel? Where'd you run off t-"I was interrupted when something fell on my still-aching head. What a bummer…

"OW! Who the hell-"

Just before I could finish my ranting, Nigel landed in front of me with a mango grasped in his foot. I think he's responsible for dropping the mango on my head, so I glared at him a bit. And he seemed to be concerned as well. At least there's some progress in his desired reformation.

Nigel placed the mango on his wing and went over to me, massaging my temples and forehead. "My apologies for MY clumsiness, Alex. I was just going to acquire some of the mangoes above us. However, I lost my grip on the other mango. Uhh… No hard feelings."

I picked the mango that fell on me from the ground with my foot and looked at Nigel with a smile. He really cared. If not, he wouldn't be massaging my head right now. Ah, well, so much for not getting all touchy.

"It's… no problem, Nigel. Thanks for getting me one, and for massaging my head."

"No dilemma at all, Alex. What are friends fo-"

He stopped there, and looked at me with a somewhat shocked expression. It's probably because he never called anyone a friend. A real friend, that is. My smile widened at what he said. He's really trying his best to change himself, and I'm very proud of him.

I lowered his wings from my head and once again patted him on his shoulder. This time, he didn't try to prevent me from doing so, and instead, he accepted my friendly action and smiled back at me. Looks like getting Jewel to trust him will be a snap!

"I guess, I could call you my friend, Alex. After all, you were the one that saved me from being pummeled to nothing but dust by those other pretty birds. No one ever stood up for me like that."

* * *

><p>Nigel and I sat down by the base of the tree and ate our mangoes slowly, savoring the rich and sweet taste of nature's fresh produce. We stayed there for a while, talking about certain things, like the past and what was good or bad in them. However, Nigel's story seemed to be more intriguing. I wanted to hear it.<p>

"No one really ever stood up for you? As in, no one at all?"

"Yes. Even the ones back in the "Fly Hard" studio wouldn't take me seriously, and they would mock me for how I looked like. Patricious, the individual that replaced me, never offended me in any way, but the others just threw their putrid insults and mockeries at me, and it was much worse because they found out that I was replaced. It's… the reason why I started helping bird smugglers retrieve other pretty birds; as revenge for what the "Fly Hard" crew did to me. If they wanted to insult me as much as they pleased, then I acquired the urge and pleasure of insulting them back indirectly, by the use of bird-smuggling. Vengeance blinded me to an extent that I would even involve violence in the process."

I was touched by Nigel's story. I couldn't believe what the exotic birds in the studio did to him. Not only did they offend him, but they also forced Nigel into the shadows of vengeance, blinding him from the light of hope and happiness. His anger also led him to taking it all out in the other innocent birds. Well, I don't blame him for that.

"You know what, Nigel? If I ever get a chance to meet those jerks who led you to all of that crap, I'm going to beat the living daylights out of them. You don't deserve to be treated like that. It's just total horse-crap." I meant the beating and all that. They're in for a rough scene if I ever got my wings on them, the jerks.

Nigel smiled again, and patted ME on the shoulder. "Thank you, Alex. But you're not required to do such. Like what you said; vengeance will only lead you to trouble, and not true satisfaction. You don't want to be a hypocrite now, don't you?"

I remembered that saying, thanks to him. I don't want to be a hypocrite. Hypocrisy's just down-right wrong. I have to give him credit for that reminder, really.

I smiled at him, and stood up, stretching my wings and legs. Thankfully, my head wasn't aching anymore from that branch-whack. I adjusted my belt, checked my inventory, and helped Nigel up from his sitting position. It's time that we continue our way to the lake. I have a feeling we spent enough time here. The others are probably waiting for us there.

"Nigel, let's get a move on. I think the others are already there. And you said that you wanted to get your surprise over with now, didn't you?"

"Hehe. Yeah, yeah. I remember. Let's go, then."

We didn't fly on the way though. I didn't want to crash into another branch and attain the possibility of a broken noggin. I couldn't get Nigel's story out of my head though. For some reason, his past situation reminds me of what Dexter might've done for me in MY past. A part of my memory is telling me that, like what I did for Nigel by saving him from being beaten to death, Dexter saved ME from something. I just can't lay a feather on it. Speaking of Dexter, I just remembered that I still have those codes to deal with. "Ugh."

Nigel must've heard me, because he looked at me, the moment I said that. "Are you disgusted about something, Alex? Is it something that I need to know?"

"Oh, no. It's nothing. I just… uuhh… felt a little pain on my head come back, that's all."

"Well, suit yourself, then."

I am probably the worst liar that wanders the Earth, because I never lie, as much as possible. I hate lying, to be honest. Luckily, Nigel seemed to have believed me on that account. Wait, why am I even trying to hide this from him? Well, that just goes to show you that there are some parts about me that others and even I can't explain. That's partially the story of my life.

* * *

><p><strong>Rafael's POV<strong>

Where on Earth are they? The lake isn't even that far from their stationed hollow. Ugh, did Alex get him and Nigel lost? I hope he brought his "jungle map" with him.

I went around my spot in circles, thinking of how I'm going to get Jewel to trust Nigel. Sure, Nigel committed a lot of crimes back in the day, but the guy just needs another chance. I just hope that meu amigos are willing to do so.

My thoughts were suddenly broken and revised with worry when Jewel and Blu arrived. 'Agh, no! Alex and Nigel were supposed to be here before them! Great! How are we supposed to pull the jig on Jewel this time?'

Jewel greeted me in a somewhat suspicious tone. "Good morning, Rafael. So, may you explain why I'm being brought here by you and Blu? I think I also heard that Alex is involved in this little shenanigan of yours."

I was getting worried, and being worried makes me think about my feathers being gray. "Uuummm… Not just yet, Jewel. You'll find out pretty soon why you're here. Although, I'm sure you know that this is special for you and a certain someone, right?"

She then looked at Blu with a confused look, making Blu panic. "Who? Me? I'm not the special certain someone that YOU'RE supposed to meet here."

"Then, who IS that someone, and why am I here? I better get some answers right now, or so help me God, I will-"

She really sounds irked from our supposed surprise. I don't want her to get all violent on us, so I guess I have to tell her. "Jewel, you see… We arranged a meeting here for you and Ni-"

I was interrupted by some leaf-rustling from behind me. When I looked behind me, I happened to find Alex and Nigel emerge from the bushes.

Alex was the first to speak up. "Sorry we're late, Raf. 'Bumped' into a little traffic on the way."

"Which happens to be a branch of a mango tree…" Nigel clarified.

I heard Jewel whisper to herself; "Ugh! What's HE doing here?" but I didn't bother. I was just relieved that they finally arrived and that the plan can finally be set into motion. "Alex! Nigel! Good to see you, meu amigos! And Nigel, you're just in time for the 'special surprise' that we cooked up for you." I said, placing a wing around his head.

Nigel sounded a little excited and a little impatient at the same time. "Alright, now. What's the surprise that you guys readied up and have been hiding from me? And who's that certain someone that I'm supposed to encounter?"

Alex, Blu and I pointed a feather to the Spix Princess known as Jewel. "Her."

"WHAT?" Nigel and Jewel shouted at the same time. I knew that this was going to happen. I just hope that this will turn out fine.

And with that, I motioned Nigel towards Jewel, as Blu motioned Jewel towards Nigel. They were both hesitating, and I could see that in their faces. Nigel was a bit nervous and scared, while Jewel looked irritated and angry. I mean, she was glaring at me and Alex while Blu was pushing her towards the once evil Cockatoo, known as Nigel.

"Blu! Stop this, right now!"

Blu was smiling while he was pushing her, and explained to her what the deal was about, in a loud manner so that Nigel could hear the plan as well. "No-can-do, Jewel. You need some alone time with good 'ol Nigel here. We want the both of you to gain each other's trust by the end of today. And Alex is going to make sure that it DOES happen."

I chuckled at their looks. They looked so priceless while they looked at each other. I just wished I had one of those devices that humans use when they see a nice view, or a funny moment… the devices that make a bright flash.

The moment that they were both in front of each other, they were hesitant to say anything. However, Nigel offered to fire up the conversation. "Look, pretty bird. I know we got off on the wrong talon, but I'm willing to make your acquaintance right now, to prove to you that I really want to change. So, what do you say, hmm?"

He even put out his foot for Jewel to shake. But unfortunately, Jewel just looked at him with an angry expression. And Nigel looked back with a sad expression, with his foot still out for Jewel to hopefully accept and shake as well.

Pretty soon, Nigel pleaded with desperation. "Please, Jewel. I really require this opportunity. I want to make actual friends in this jungle. Alex accepted me as his friend. In fact, he IS my first friend, along with big nose and usele- I mean, Rafael and Blu."

He nearly called me "Big Nose". But then he revised it. Wow, that's nice. However, Jewel just scoffed. "Hmph! You think it's easy to just gain friends around here, after what you've done? Oh, Nigel. What a pity. Let me just get one thing straight; I don't want to be your friend, and I don't want to forgive you for what you did before, because you don't deser-"

Blu stopped her there, with sadness and a bit of anger written all over his face. "Jewel, listen to me. Nigel is here, in front of us, right now, and he isn't even doing anything malicious and evil. He's begging for a chance, and you're throwing away his pleads of forgiveness! Just help him do what he wishes to do!"

Alex chimed in as well. "Yeah, Jewel! Give him a chance! I'll watch over him, don't worry! Jeez! You don't have to be so botchy about it."

I just simply nodded in agreement. They were right, and Jewel had better cooperate. Because of what she said, Nigel was taken aback and looked like he wanted to burst into tears. Originally, he would look like he would burst into anger and practically try to kill her, but it looks like he really set aside his past.

Jewel still didn't look convinced, but she managed to just go with the flow anyway. "Fine."

Well, that satisfied Nigel enough, as well as us, because his look of sadness immediately switched to a look of happiness and relief. "Phew! Thank you very much, Jewel. I won't let you down." He said, while shaking Jewel's foot rather vigorously.

Jewel just rolled her eyes, as Nigel still shook her foot. Man, he really is happy, and that's good. I guess that's one step in his reformation checked.

I was about to turn to Blu and Alex, when Jewel suddenly pulled Nigel close to her, with full force. I heard her say something that sounded like a threat. "You had better not try anything funny, because if you do…" She stopped as she put her beak close to Nigel's ear. "I will kill you myself."

I nearly lost myself completely at this nonsense. I mean, what part of "desire to change" did she not understand? "JEWEL! Meu Deus! Let him go, now!"

Nigel, however, didn't look scared. Instead, he just nodded and reassured that everything will be fine, with the happy expression still glued to his face. "Oh, that's alright, Rafael. She's just getting warmed up. I'll be fine, really! And I understand how she feels, after what I committed and all that… It's perfectly understood." She then turned to Jewel, as he calmly loosened her grip on him, and lowered her foot. "You have nothing to worry about, Jewel… my friendly Spix Princess. I won't turn against you and anyone else."

My expression of anger disappeared and was replaced by a smile. It looks like Nigel's going to get this done like he's about to smuggle a bird… which he isn't about to do any time sooner. I even laughed when I saw Blu's look of disbelief and shock. I bet mangoes to papayas that he never called his love hawk a Spix Princess.

"I never… Wow, just wow! I never called Jewel a princess! Thanks for the reference, Nigel!"

"Haha! No problem, friend!"

As I saw all of this happening, Alex put his wing on my shoulder, as he was also admiring what he was seeing. "Well, Raf, looks like Nigel's going to do great! I mean, I can already imagine what the future would be!" He then jumped to his left side, and looked up as he put both his wings in the air, forming the motion of a rainbow. "Nigel… The Changed Bird of Rio! It's so awesome!"

The thought of that gave me a good feeling in my stomach. I laughed with him as well. I also noticed Nigel give me a thumbs up… the kind of thing that humans would do when something good happens with them and their buddies.

Well, looks like it's time to give Jewel and Nigel some time for trust-building. I signaled Blu and Alex to me and headed for the bushes. Time for "Operation: Trust the Cockatoo" to be put into play.

**Alex's POV**

4:00 pm…

Finally! Our plan to get Jewel to give a chance to and trust Nigel is now in motion. As I and the other two went behind the bushes, we set up our positions of observation. Blu said he would stay above a tree, Rafael said that he would stay behind this bush, and I would stay behind the log that was close to Nigel and Jewel.

As we went to our positions, I heard Nigel striking up a conversation. I need to record this via my iPod Touch's camera, for proof that Nigel's doing all he can do to get this Spix Princess to trust him. That way, the others can be convinced and treat Nigel fairly.

Like a security camera watching a bank area, I set my iPod next to the log, prepping up the recording process. "Hehe… This should knock Kipo off his rocker once he sees this." I also made sure that they wouldn't see it.

**Via the recording process…**

"Jewel, I know that you're still agitated about what I did in the past, but… You have to let that go. I've changed for the better, really!"

"How am I supposed to believe you so easily? I have this feeling in my gut that you're going to kill us behind our backs! After what you did to so many birds back in those days… Ugh! I just can't trust you!"

"Listen. I'm not the one who is to be entirely accused of my actions. I wasn't always an evil, no-good threat to society. I already told you what I was before, and I hope you didn't forget…"

"Augh…. What? Were you a who-"

"NO! I was a star, a success in South American tela nobelas. That is, until I was replaced by a-"

"Pretty, Paraguayan Parakeet, named Patricious. Yes, I definitely remembered that part. Your idiotic tune… You mean to tell me, that he's responsible for your sudden reign of terror?"

"Well, no. It was the other pretty birds in the studio. They insulted me! It was even worse when they found out about my replacement! They threw their putrid mockeries at me, and didn't give a damn! THEY drove me to vengeance, which blinded me into taking out all my anger and applying it to others, including YOU! I was lost! A smart and witty pretty bird like YOU should have the capability to understand that!"

"I… Well, you must've… You… I… I…"

"Well? Are you still going to throw YOUR doubts at me? Like they were the mockeries thrown at me by those insolent… dullards? HUH? I'm sure you still have your doubts, don't get me wrong! WELL?"

**Back to Alex…**

Uh-oh! I think Nigel went too far. Thanks a lot, Jewel! Now, you've pissed him off!

I've gotta do something before this gets out of hand! I jumped out from behind the log, and ran towards the two. "Wait! Nigel, stop! You're getting out of hand!"

What I saw in front of me now, was a seemingly enraged Nigel and a nearly frightened Jewel, as he had her back slumped against a tree. I guess she regrets what she said to him, and that's good. It got me thinking that she deserves to be frightened by him. After all, those words of hers were pretty much, offending. And again… another scene that reminds me of what I did to Harry and Kane.

Jewel started whimpering, placing her cerulean wings in front of her face, as if she was covering her eyes from a bright sunshine that was actually an enraged Cockatoo. "I-I-I take it b-back! I'm s-s-sorry! Just, please! Don't hurt me!"

Blu and Rafael landed next to me, appalled by the sight. However, we doubted that Nigel would hurt Jewel, assuming that he really wanted to gain everyone's trust, and that we were in front of him. As he completely cornered Jewel, who's got no way of running away, he slowly extended his wings to her, looking like he was going to strangle the frightened Spix Princess.

It started to look really convincing, because my guts were telling me to stop Nigel from what he's about to do, while my conscience was telling me to stay calm. Huh! Stay calm, my tail-feathers! I was already preparing to charge into Nigel, and Blu and Raf looked like they were going to do the same.

However, just when we were going to take action, what Nigel did next, nearly sent us off our rockers. Nigel pulled Jewel to him with quite some force… and HUGGED her. I felt like I was about to do a jaw-drop, like the ones you see in cartoon series, when the character sees something weird.

However, little did I know that the recording was still going on…

**Back to the recording process…**

"Jewel… Please. I really need this opportunity. You- you don't know how it feels to be left alone in the darkness known as vengeance. I had no real friends in my life, and… You, Blu, Rafael and Alex… are the only keys that I have, to escape from the past that still dares to haunt my being…"

"N-Nigel… I… I…"

**Back to Alex… Again…**

This is such a dramatic scene I'm watching here. Jewel, the one who once heavily doubted the trust-deprived Cockatoo, actually hugged him back as she began to weep lightly, digging her head into the feathery chest of Nigel.

"I'm s-sorry… Really, I am. It was wrong of me to judge you so soon. P-Please… forgive me for being such a… a bitch."

Nigel patted her back during the hugging, trying to soothe her. "There, there now, pretty bird. I also want to give my apology to you as well, for frightening you. I just… wanted to make sure that you acquire my points, as well as my reasons for being the bird I was before."

Rafael, Blu and I were touched by the scene that was held before us. A touching scene of trying to gain someone's friendship and trust… Always gets me. I remember watching something like this on television when I still lived in Minneapolis, when Dexter was still a governor.

Jewel lifted her head and looked at Nigel, still locking him in her wings. "Alright, Nigel. You have my trust. I finally believe that you will be a great friend." And then she looked at us and winked, also lifting a wing to raise a 'thumbs up', so did Nigel. I guess our work here… is done! Never thought it would be this easy…

* * *

><p>Going around in circles, while the afternoon sun shone on the hollow of the Gundersons, three young Spix's Macaws were pondering about where their parents were. Along with them, were two different colored birds. A Yellow Canary and a Red Cardinal, to be precise. Their names were Nico and Pedro… in that order.<p>

"Hey! C'mon, guys! Don't put your feathers in a twist. They'll be back! Err… Right, Pedro?" The Canary inquired.

"Yeah, blue buddies! They're gonna be back real soon! They just wanna meet up with a friend, that's all! It ain't somethin' to worry about." The Cardinal reassured.

Nico and Pedro were babysitting the three Macaws while their parents were away. They would do this every time Blu and Jewel were off somewhere else and that the children couldn't come along. If not them, then Eva would do it.

The three Macaws are the children of Blu and Jewel. Two of them are twins, while the other looks a bit different. The twins' names are Brandon and Tina, while the youngest one is named Miguel.

Brandon stopped and looked at the two party birds with worry. "Are you sure about that? They could've at least brought their friend over. I mean, everyone knows that I'm a worry-wart like my Dad. Why do I always have to be stuck with all the stress? Can't I at least go through 5 minutes of my life without getting stressed?"

He really is just like his father. Tina, on the other hand, is more like her mother; a free-spirited and independent individual. "Don't be such a baby, Brandon. Don't you ever think about dropping your troubles for once, and relax for at least 5 minutes?"

Nico and Pedro couldn't help but snicker at the retaliating taunt. Brandon snapped his head towards Tina and looked at her with disbelief. They really were like their parents, sometimes taunting each other back and forth. Miguel, however, was different from his older brother and older sister. He had both the personalities of his parents. He had his mother's feather color shade, his father's looks, and differently colored eyes. His left eye was chocolate brown and his right eye was dark green.

As Miguel listened to his siblings' taunting, he sighed. "Hmm… This is going to be a long afternoon. I just hope Mom and Dad get here soon. And I also want to get a glimpse of their supposed new friend. I wonder… Is he another Macaw, or is he another Toucan?"

Brandon and Tina stopped their taunting and looked at Miguel. "I don't know, Miguel. Although, I'm guessing that their friend is a Parakeet. Eh… We'll never know until they get here."

A few minutes of silence went on, until it was broken by distant chattering. Nico, Pedro and the three children swiftly went over to the hollow's entrance to see who the chatters were coming from. They were hoping that they were coming from Blu and Jewel.

Sure enough, they were. And with them was the children's Uncle Rafael, accompanied by an unknown bird.

Nico and Pedro greeted their buddies as they flew to the hollow. But upon seeing Nigel…

"Hey, what's up, party lovers! How'd your day g- AAH! What's Nigel doing here? I thought you guys hated each other?"

Immediately, Rafael moved to them and started trying to calm them down as he explained everything. "Woah, woah, now guys! Chill! Nigel's cool. He's changed."

Pedro, still shivering, protested. "Man, have you lost your senses, Raf? Not too long ago, he tried to get you and us smuggled in a violent way! And now, you're tellin' me that he's cool now? That ain't dignified, man!"

Blu and Jewel chimed in to help out Rafael in explaining as they hug their kids. "Guys, it's alright. Nigel is not who you think he is anymore. Trust us. C'mon, we'll even prove it to you. Nigel, prove it."

And with that, Nigel went over to the shivering party birds and placed his wings on their backs, also trying to sound hip and cool like them. "Hey, now hipsters! Chillax! I'm not going to kill you, really!"

Nico piped up with a protest. "Maybe you're only doing that 'cause everyone's here watchin' ya! Man, you've got some nerves!"

"Oh, come on, now, my colorful acquaintances! I've changed for the better!"

But no matter how much Nigel tried to talk them into believing them, it was no use. So he then promised to return and try again. "Okay, fine. Don't believe me… for now. But I'll return tomorrow to try and exert my efforts on you two."

Nigel turned around to his three new friends and gave them a hug. "I am grateful for what you've done for me. I promise to find a way to repay the three of you, including Alex."

Blu patted his shoulder as he guided him to the exit of the hollow. "It's no problem, Nigel. So long as we know that you're a good bird now, it's the best favor you can do for us. Now… go home to your hollow. Alex is waiting for you, because he probably needs help in fixing up the nest. You don't want to sleep on what feels like thorns, right?"

Nigel just laughed happily and gave them another hug before he flew off to his new home, where his first friend is waiting.

As he disappeared into the luscious jungle, Rafael prepared to leave as well, along with the confused and still frightened party birds. "Well, I gotta go now, meu amigos. Take care now. I still have MY kids to look after, as well as these fraidy-birds."

The Gunderson children ran up to their three uncles and gave them a group hug. "Bye, Uncles! Safe flight!"

"Aww… Thank you, guys."

After releasing them, Rafael let out a victorious laugh as he flew alongside Nico and Pedro.

**Blu's POV**

Today, was a very successful day for me, Alex, Rafael, and especially Jewel! I can't believe it took only one day filled with conflict, drama and happiness to get her to trust Nigel! I can't say, however, whether it was easy or not. I'm too tired to agree to any answer on that matter.

I then felt a tug on my wingtips. It was Miguel. "Dad, what happened today? Who's Nigel, and who's Alex?"

I was supposed to answer, but Jewel took the honors of explaining, and she deserves that honor. After all, she just made a wonderful accomplishment today. "I just happened to forgive an old enemy of your father and mine. Turns out that he's really changed for good! I was wrong to heavily doubt him."

"And what about Alex? Who's he?"

"He's a new friend. He's very nice. He came from America, like your father. In fact, he's the one that influenced us to forgive Nigel for what he did in the past. I mean, he's right anyway. Everyone deserves a second chance."

And with that, Jewel turned to me. "I'm sorry for how I treated Nigel back there. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course, my love. I will always find room in my heart to forgive you. Now… c'mere, you.."

I pulled her to me and gave her a passionate kiss. Why would I not forgive her? After all, we're chained-together birds. It's not like my bond with her will ever be broken.

My thoughts of love for my precious mate were blasted by all three of our children, who were clearly disgusted by our little kissing scene. "Eewww! Mom, Dad! Your children are here!"

Well, I pulled the kiss apart. He's right. That might just spoil their minds. I mean, me and Jewel can just kiss all we want when they're asleep. Hmm… me and my naughty mind. That's not likely of me.

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

I'm getting the hang of this nest-building thing. I hope these are enough twigs and leaves to make the nest comfortable.

I left the others a while ago just so I could get this nest done. And I'm beat! I fell down on the nest with my back as I closed my eyes. This bird needs a break. After all, I'm on vacation.

Wait… Vacation… Dexter… Thoughts of him are finding their way into my head again. I miss him so much. It's been two days and one night since I got separated from him. I hope he's alright. My heart would burn if I found out that Dexter got killed. I don't know how I could continue living in this world if the thought of him being dead permanently set itself in my mind.

I suddenly heard some flapping sounds, and when I opened my eyes, I happened to find a happy Nigel. Yeah, he's happy alright, after what happened a while ago with him and Jewel. They finally put their problems aside, and Jewel gave him a chance.

"Well, someone's happy today."

"I know! I love the feeling!" He stated as he lay beside me on the nest. "Oh, I'm sorry if I was too late in assisting you in improving the nest."

I patted his shoulder and smiled. "Nah, it's alright. I got the hang of it anyway."

We stayed there, silent for a while, until a question popped up in my head. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow? You got something in mind, hmm?"

"I'm devising a plot to befriend two birds named Nico and Pedro. They're friends of Blu and Rafael."

"Well, good luck with that, buddy." That was the last thing I said to Nigel, as I was about to drift off to sleep, until I felt his wing on my ribs. "Thank you, Alex. Sweet dreams… 'buddy'."

I couldn't help but make a wider smile to what he just said.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile…<strong>

The gang's boss was fuming. They had failed in their attempts to murder both President Dexter and President Esteban. Not only that, but he also received a report from one of his cronies that Dexter's companion Bald Eagle was able to escape the fire-fight.

"*Merda! How could you have failed? There were more of us, and few of them! What's more, is that we had them out-gunned! Why did we fail?"

The boss' second in command was frightened by his anger. "S-sir, the policia arrived! They were with the Special Forces! We couldn't do anything about it."

Much to the leader's anger, he swung the table that was in front of him with a machete, scaring his partner more. "Look! The ones paying me to do this are a lot fiercer than me! If we don't do what they wish us to do, we could get killed ourselves! I've been working for my payers for 5 years, and I will not get into big trouble for one failure! I blame you!"

Then, a plot popped up in his head, with him forming a malicious grin. "Follow me. I've got something to show you."

He went out of the room with his partner following, holding a few keys. They walked through the dark hallways of the building. The boss' partner was wondering where he was taking him. Where? What's there to show him?

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a door. When they opened the door, inside the room were a few cages. Inside the cages… were birds. White-tailed Eagles, and they belonged to the boss. They were his reconnaissance operatives when they needed some spying to do.

"Allow me to introduce them to you. Their names are Diego, Gregorio and Sylvia. They will take care of our 'feathery' problem."

His partner, however, looked confused. "I-I don't know w-what you mean, sir."

"Idiot! They will be the ones who will take down the Bald Eagle."

"What problem does he pose to us, sir?"

"Ugh! Don't you get it? With him flying around, he might be able to find our place and tell us off, as revenge for splitting him and his friend apart!"

"But... won't they be able to find us anyway? I mean, we just attacked two presidents! In a matter of days, probably even minutes, they'll find US!"

"Haven't you ever heard of the terms 'disguise' and 'nomadic'?"

And with that, he opened up the cages of the three eagles and also opened the window, showing off the tranquil night. "Diego, Gregorio, Sylvia. Find the Bald Eagle. He has a white head, a brown body, white tail-feathers and yellow feet. You know what to do when you see him…"

The eagles nodded and flew out of the window, and into the night. Their malevolent hunt for Alex Eisenhower has begun…

* * *

><p>*Merda: Portuguese for "Sh*t"<p>

Author's Note: By the way, I'm back from the depths of my Hellish exams! It took me a while to think this chapter up. But, it's finally here! I hope you enjoyed this one.

Please, feel free to review. Give me the heads-up on anything odd, so I can fix them up. Thank you! :D

Announcement: I am working on a new story as well. It will have no connection with this story. However, some of the characters from here will be there as well. Here's the title (Consider it in Beta stage, for I might change it in the future): "Project: Scarlet". It will be rated "M" for sure, due to the violence, the characters' speech... Yeah, that's about it. It will be a "Mystery/Horror" kind of story.

No more spoilers... Hehe. XD


	9. A Missed, Haunted and Confused Eagle

Author's Note: I'm sorry if it took quite long for me to whip this one up. I was busy with all my requirements at school. But now... I'm FREE! Free to continue writing and do whatever I want, of course.

Anyway, here is Chapter 9! Enjoy!

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><p>A Missed, Haunted and Confused Eagle<p>

April 7, 2011: Grand Hotel do Rio; 10:34 pm (The day "Operation: Trust the Cockatoo" occurred)

Yesterday is a day that will never be forgotten by two best friends. And the reason why, is because they will never see each other again.

Dexter officially let Alex go, just so he would be safe from harm. Being a president of one of the big nations is a serious business, especially if you're involved in a lot of things. And for him, it's a good thing he realized it, because if Alex dies, the fact would break Dexter's heart, and would send him into a state of depression, anger, and insanity.

All they wanted was a nice, relaxing and well-deserved vacation, and it ends up going to blazes. He hasn't even seen Alex decipher the codes in order for him to find out about his past. How is he going to react? Dexter won't even be there to calm him down once he finds out. Will their friendship last any longer, or will it be broken down by fear and regret?

And speaking of past, Alex is about to go through hints regarding his past. Will he realize what really happened soon enough with the help of the codes that Dexter gave him?

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><p><strong>Dexter's POV<strong>

Well, I'm safe. Thank God the Special Forces of Rio came in. I was beginning to think that the terrorists would hammer us. I mean, I nearly lost one of my agents! Oh, well. At least we're all in one piece.

I'm in a hotel with my agents. Mr. Esteban apologized for what happened yesterday, and left us a while ago; to enjoy the rest of our three-week vacation. Enjoy? How the Hell can I enjoy if my buddy, Alex, isn't here to enjoy it with me? My life will never be the same without my closest friend, the one who I spent 18 years of happiness with.

But it's too late now. I let him go for good. Hell, he probably thinks I'm dead and flew off back to America on his own, feeling extremely depressed and not knowing what to do anymore. Damn! Just thinking about him like that makes me want to cry!

I was in my hotel room, sitting on my bed while thinking about all of this. I was still in my suit, while my agents were in their sleeping clothes already. Hmph! So much for not being in your suits while on vacation. I was too depressed to even get out of my clothes! Maybe, I should cut this trip short. I mean, what's my purpose here when Alex isn't around? We were supposed to enjoy Rio TOGETHER. Is that too much to ask for? Then again… My agents need their well-deserved break as well, so I guess this trip will move on as planned.

My angry pondering was suddenly blasted into pieces by one of my agents who came from the adjoining room. He looked like he didn't have so much to think about. I needed some company, so I tried to fire up a conversation. "Hey. You okay from what happened yesterday?"

He seemed interested, so he sat down beside me. "Oh, I'm alright sir. I just have a short graze on my thigh, but nothing more. How about you? A lot of things happened to you, like getting flung around the limo as the explosion sent it over to its backside, getting shot on the shoulder, losing your… I… I-I'm sorry, Mr. President, for your horrible loss."

"You don't have to be. If there's anyone who's supposed to be sorry, it would be me." I said as I let myself fall on the bed. "I let Alex down. I should've at least told him what really happened in his past. But instead, I just translated his past into a bunch of stupid codes and let him find out on his own. I mean, where's the friendly help in that? And what if he never gets to decipher them? Or if he does, who's going to calm him down? I wouldn't be worrying about this if I just told him the truth in the first place."

"Sir, I'm sure he'll understand. You knew the truth would hurt him. He'll probably think of the issue that way. He's mature enough to know that."

"Yeah, but… He-"

"Look, after the attack yesterday, you said that you officially let him go. If that's the case, why do you sound like you haven't let him go yet?"

He has a point. Even if I said that I let him go, I still talk like I haven't. To be honest, it's really hard to let go of him. I promised that we'd be friends forever, no matter what happened, and I broke it… for a good reason, I guess. After all, I didn't want him to get hurt. God, my life's ruined!

I couldn't answer his question though, but he understood. He gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder before he walked over to the bed on the other side of the room we were in. I watched him settle under the blanket and rest his head on his pillow with hands on his chest. I started feeling woozy as well, so I went under my blanket too. Perhaps a little rest may help me relax a bit. Hell, I might even go for a nice swim in the beach tomorrow.

Just as I was about to turn off the lamp light, my agent said, "Sir, if I were you, think about the whole issue this way; Sure, you let him go… physically. But what about by the heart? Are you guys still friends by heart? Think about it that way, sir. Trust me. It helps."

I stared at him with a weak but meaningful smile. I guess he's right. True that I let him go in a physical manner, but what about by heart? It really does seem like I haven't let go of him and I'm starting to think that I shouldn't give up this easily. "Thank you. I'll try to put it that way."

With my reply, my trustworthy agent gave me a "thumbs up". He seemed pretty satisfied. "That's the spirit, sir! Now, go and get some sleep. You'll feel a lot better by tomorrow. Good night."

"Alright, then. Good night." I said as I turned the lamp light off. I gotta hand it to him. He really is considered as one of my loyal agents. More importantly, a friend. As I settled under my blanket and let my head rest on the comfortable pillow, I pondered about Alex's status. "I hope you're alright, Alex. You may not be here with me right now, but you'll always be in my heart… forever. I bid you 'Good night' buddy."

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><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

**In his dreams…**

Fires all around… A lot of screaming and shouting are audible… No way out, and an unknown entity was carrying me, trying to escape with me with all of her effort. Her eyes… They had determination and confidence written in them, saying that we were going to make it out of the blazing location. But wait… Where am I? Why is it that our surroundings are set ablaze? What started it? Who's this female carrying me and trying to get me and her out? And… Why aren't my questions being answered? I don't know if this whole scene has anything to do with me or this motherly figure. Minutes of running, and we are still here in this merciless fire.

Feeling like there was no hope left, the motherly figure stopped running and then looked at me with eyes of love. Really, who was she? I could thank her for trying to help me, but I could not release any form of speech. But really, who on Earth is she? I kept on looking into her lovely eyes, and for some reason, they show a spark of relation to my heart. Could… she be my mother? I'm so confused…

Suddenly, she started soothing me as she rubs her wingtips against my chest. If I heard correctly, she said "Hush now, Alex. Everything will be okay. I promise.". She might be my mother! However, I can't see her whole face, just her eyes. Why? I need to know now.

All of a sudden my eyes caught something above her, and that "something" was a sharp branch. As a sharp crack sounded off, the branch broke from its position and started falling towards us. I felt my eyes dilate, as my vision slowly started to fade into a white shade. The branch was going to fall on my savior! I wanted to help, but I couldn't access any control to my own body. She must've noticed my eyes, because she too looked up and saw the falling scythe of death.

Right when I was beginning to think that this was the end, she suddenly knelt down and covered me from the falling branch. The last thing I heard before my vision turned completely white, was a sick, flesh-protruding sound accompanied by something liquid splattering all over me, and some sirens.

**Back to reality…**

"AAAAGGHHH!" I suddenly screamed and quickly sat up as I woke up from what was obviously a horrible nightmare. I was also breathing deeply and quickly. Boy, did that dream scare the bullets out of me.

And I must've screamed really loud, because I heard a few other birds outside the hollow, complaining. Nigel was disturbed as well. In fact, he quickly sat up and looked at me with his baggy eyes that said 'What the Hell did you just do?'.

Nigel moaned while rubbing his eyes. "You know, when people tell you to shout out your feelings to the world, you weren't required to do it now."

It was quite embarrassing, especially with the others outside. They're complaining like, "HEY! Quiet down, will ya?" and "I'm gonna beat ya up if ya do that again, and let us get some sleep!"

However, I kind of ignored their ranting, as I just looked down at my feet, feeling scared, sad and confused. Nigel noticed how I looked and quickly went over to me. "Hey now, Alex. Whatever is the matter? Was your nightmare really that unbearable?"

I looked at him, still with the negative expressions written all over my face. "I… I d-don't know. I'm just so… confused. I don't know what that dream means, and… it just keeps coming back to haunt me!"

"There, there now, Alex. I'm sure it's just a silly apparition in your head. And you know… Come to think of it, I think you had that nightmare because of that little accident you had this morning. You know, the branch that you flew into?"

"No, no, no. Th-that can't be it. To be honest, I've had this dream more than once, ever since I was 6 years old. I started having these dreams at that age, and until now, I still have it. Why? Why, Nigel? Do you think it's trying to give me a message?"

Nigel was really concerned. By the look of his face, ignoring the sleepy expression, he wanted to get some answers. He eagerly went closer to me and was willing to listen to what I had to say. "Describe the dream. What was it showing?"

"Well… I was with some female eagle, and we were surrounded by flames. She was carrying me, while trying to escape from the engulfing flames. There was also this part when we stopped running, and she looked at me, straight into my eyes. I couldn't see her whole face, though. Then she also started to soothe me, telling me that everything will be alright."

"So… What's bad about that? That's actually a good thing."

"You haven't heard the end yet. What happened last is that while she looked at me, my eyes dilated by the sight of a falling branch. And get this; the branch was sharp. She saw my eyes, and looked above her. The last thing that happened was that she covered me from the branch, and then everything went white."

Nigel tried to analyze the dream I just had. While he did that, I slowly lay myself down on the nest, rubbing my eyes. I think I was getting teary-eyed. I just remembered that in the dream, I wondered if the female eagle who saved me, was my mother. I mean, I never did get to see my mother, let alone my father and my siblings, if I ever had any. And I had those dreams for a bunch of times. Is that what the message was? Did my mother really die that way? Hmph! I can't just jump to any conclusions immediately. I need more images, more things that are basically telling me the same thing.

After a few minutes, Nigel had his analysis. "Well, according to how I assembled the dream you just had, I think that the unknown feminine eagle was… your mother. Not that I'm jumping to any conclusions or what not and- Uuh, Alex? You alright?"

I started crying a bit harder as I sat up while my eyes were buried underneath my wings. I mean, she can't be my mother. She can't be! It was only a few seconds until Nigel quickly gave a reassuring hug while patting my back. "There, now Alex. Take it easy. I'm not even sure if she was your mother. Don't worry about it."

"How can I, Nigel? I need to know, whether my family is still out there, especially my mother. My mother, Nigel. MY MOTHER!" I cried as I hugged Nigel tighter. I know I was starting to become dramatic here, and that I was slowly depressing Nigel or creeping him out, but I couldn't help it. I was scared, depressed, angry, confused… What more could I not feel? My life was ruined ever since I got separated from Dexter. Crap, even he's gone.

"It's alright, Alex. W-what you had was just a silly dream. Trust me. Your mother d-did not suffer that fate. All the events that happened in your head are not true. Hush now. There's no need to cry."

But I didn't stop crying. I was feeling hopeless. I mean, can you imagine what you could feel if you knew that you lost your mother in front of you in a bloody-ass way? I was completely hopeless. That is, until Nigel suddenly held the sides of both of my wings really tight and gave me a stern look. "Alex, you're not being strong like you truly are. Suck it up, and be a real eagle! What would Dexter do if he witnessed this, huh? Would he be satisfied if he found his best friend giving in to a silly nightmare?" That brought my crying to a slow stop. He's right. I mean, I would be ashamed of how I'm reacting if Dexter saw me succumb to a stupid nightmare.

After a good 10 seconds of looking at me, Nigel's grip loosened, and so did his stern look, which turned into a smile. "Look, it… is just… a nightmare… alright? None of those events ever happened. There's no need to fret, okay? Besides, I'm here with you. Blu and the others are there as well."

My quick and heavy breathing ceased as I formed a weak, but surely meaningful smile. I felt pretty good about Nigel. I felt the intention and truth in his voice that he really will always be there for me, along with Blu, Jewel and Rafael. However, I'm starting to get the feeling that they're replacements for Dexter's spot. Hell, no! Dexter will stay in his spot in my heart forever. My new friends have their own special spot in my heart.

Anyway, after all the things that Nigel just told me, I'm starting to think that the eagle in my nightmares isn't my mother. Hopefully so. I'd be really depressed if that really was my mother, and if it DID happen. I sighed in relief after Nigel let go of me. I guess with him and my new friends around, my worries would drift away before anyone can even say "Steak and Potatoes".

"Th-thank you for saying that, Nigel. It… really means a lot to me. I've got yours and the others' backs as well."

Nigel patted my back and said, "Now that's more like it! That's the Alex that I've come to know." I was really happy when he said that. I'm glad to have met him and the others. I guess none of this would've happened if I didn't hear Nigel's cry for desperate help back then.

I lay myself back on the nest and prepared to continue my interrupted slumber. As I put my wings behind my head and closed my eyes, Nigel gave me his last message for the night. "Remember, the apparition you had in your head DID NOT HAPPEN in reality, alright?"

"Yeah. I know…"

"Alright, then. Good night… again. Hehe…"

"Good night."

I put all my thoughts of worry aside, preparing my usual happiness for the next day. Perhaps I could meet Rafael's family and Blu's family tomorrow. I guess that could keep me busy from my worries.

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><p>Author's Note: My apologies if this chapter was kind of short. I just wanted to make sure the story goes with complete details of each decided scene, so no one will get lost in a specific scenario. I promise though, that my next chapter will be long like the past few chapters.<p>

Please feel free to review. And if there's any oddity, please state them. Thank you. :D


	10. Unexpected Run In

Author's Note: I'll try to make this one long. I had quite a hard time thinking this through. So, I hope you enjoy this surprise. :D

Unexpected Run-in

Last night was quite a dramatic night for the two friends. Thinking that they will not see each other again for specific reasons was already bad enough. But the fact that there are doubts and worries about each other still hangs around them haunts them until something unfortunate actually occurs. How long will they keep themselves standing against the painful odds?

As time passes by in Alex's life, he keeps having the same nightmares that he had since he was still a youngling. As he grows, sparks of realization bring him near to all that answers his questions regarding his family, majorly focusing on his mother. However, no matter how hard he tries to doubt his nightmares, worries would still force him into believing the fact that his mother did perish in a violent way, right in front of him. The problem though, is that he doesn't even know that the part that her mother really DID perish in a violent way in front of him IS a fact. Thankfully for Alex, the reconciled Nigel was able to convince him into thinking that it was just a silly apparition and that her mother did not die that way.

Unfortunately, that just leaves Alex to ponder about the issue; whether his family is still out there or not.

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><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

Wow… I can't believe what happened last night. That nightmare… Damn, I've always had that dream! It's really starting to worry me! Not only that, I've been worrying about Dexter as well, since the early morning, a few hours after my little scene with Nigel and the nightmare. I can't seem to let go of him. No matter how much I say it or not think about him, I just can't let him go. Then I guess that only means one thing; I mustn't give up on him yet. Like my family, he might still be out there. I could just simply fly away from this jungle and set out to look for him, but… Leaving my new friends? Nah! I might just waste my time. Dexter probably moved on, and I guess I should too. But if there's one thing about him that I'll never forget, is that he was the one who took care of me my whole life, and that we stayed together and fought against challenges as best buddies forever.

Yeah… He'll be in my heart forever.

Anyway, because of thinking about the whereabouts of my family and Dexter, I couldn't sleep very well. If the time setting in my iPod is right, I considered the time to be 3:00 am. All my worries drowned my drowsiness. Right now, I'm just sitting here, doing nothing. I know some people say that watching the sky when the moon is out usually helps the troubled individuals. Well, I tried. And here are the end results: IT JUST MADE ME FEEL WORSE! I don't know how it helps others, but it sure didn't work for me.

I sighed in depression, looking at the sheet of codes that Dexter left with me. I tried solving them again, and so far, I've gotten the first sentence. It said, "Alex, my dear friend, there's something that you should've known a long time ago." Really… Was there something Dexter should've told me? I don't know if the situation should be obvious or I'm just completely clueless.

Wait a minute… That just means that Dexter MADE these codes! It didn't contain any data for the government! It was meant specifically for ME! However, now that he said that, what was he supposed to let me know a long time ago? I was suddenly pushed to solve this and find out what he has to say. But the coding pattern…

"Hmm… The rest of these codes are giving me a headache. What kind of code pattern did Dexter use to make this? This isn't one of the many patterns that I know." I said to myself. I really was getting a headache, so I folded the sheet of paper and placed it under the nest, deciding that I'll solve the codes sometime else. I then turned my head to Nigel who was lying down like he just got back from the "Race across America". He was snoring quite loudly. But he looked peaceful as he slept. He even had a smile on his face. Just looking at him smile automatically tells me that everything will be alright. It kind of reminds me of Dexter when HE smiles.

Thinking about what Nigel told me last night makes me feel a whole lot better as well. Because of that, I'm now pretty sure that my mother did not suffer a very violent fate, and that he and the others will be there for me as I will be there for them. I really am glad to have met them. I guess my trip to Rio wasn't completely busted by problems at all.

I was thinking about going to sleep again, but… my stomach started growling. Why would I get hungry at this time of the morning? Was it the consistency of the fruits? Am I not used to not eating what humans eat for at least 2 days? Then I guess it's time that I force myself to get used to this.

I stood up and attempted to sneak up to the make-shift hanger where my belt hung. I carefully went around Nigel, hoping that I don't wake him up. I interrupted his sleep once and he took it lightly. I'm just worried how he'll take another interruption. Carefully placing my feet without making a single talon tap the floor, I circled around Nigel like a C.I.A. agent trying to infiltrate the enemy base without getting caught by the idle and patrolling guards.

After a few minutes of sneaking, I finally got to my belt. I locked it around my waist, immediately went up to the hollow's exit and set flight to find a near-enough fruit tree. I don't want to go too far and get lost, considering that it's still dark and I'm not yet used to the jungle.

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><p>As I flew, I felt the nice wind pressing up against my face. It felt pretty nice. It reminds me of how it felt when I was flying through the parks back in Minnesota; with the snow falling gently on my feathers as I soared past trees, memorial statues and people. The feeling now is like that, excluding the snowy feeling and ambience, and the statues. The only things around me are trees, which are probably housed with different birds.<p>

Although the windy feeling was quite relaxing, the surrounding silence was disturbing. I know everybody was still asleep at this hour, but I should be hearing the sounds of crickets and bats. Why am I not hearing them? I hope it doesn't mean that danger is lurking around. Damn… this reminds me of when I was playing the classic game called ***Resident Evil 3: Nemesis **with Dexter. If there was no theme song, then that means Nemesis or some other scary-looking monster is around. I remember playing the mercenaries mode as well. Those frog-like creatures called "Hunters", if I remember correctly, decapitate you after a swift move. The first time that happened to me, I was like, "Oh God!" and Dexter was just laughing at my priceless reaction; in which the way he understood it was a loud squeak.

**QUICK FLASHBACK…**

"C'mon, Alex! You can do it! You're almost there! Just a few more rooms to go through and you're done!"

Dexter was cheering me on. It's true that I was close to the end of the game mode, but after my little encounter with Nemesis, my character was limping. My status was a red line and it said "Danger". To make things worse, I was out of healing materials and my ammo is close to complete depletion. I would be stuck with my knife if I run out of shotgun shells, and my rocket launcher would only be a waste if I use it on normal infected. It's mostly used for Nemesis.

Right when I thought I was going to make it, without me knowing, a Hunter popped up from behind me. Without thinking twice, I turned around and started pumping his guts full of lead. But when I gave him the second shot, he suddenly jumped towards my character and swiped my head off. I gave out a screech as that happened. I mean, that never happened to me in this game. When I turned my head around, I saw Dexter laughing his butt off. Hmph… like that never happened to him in-game. In ***Resident Evil 4**, he was decapitated by one of those guys wielding a chainsaw. I think that's far worse than getting your head immediately swiped off by a monster, because you still have to feel a few seconds of the blades cutting up your neck. Now that, I was not only shocked at the scene, but I was also laughing my tail-feathers off. Like my expression, Dexter had that one too, and he was like, "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!". I couldn't help but laugh so hard.

Dexter then turned to me during my laughter, looking a bit annoyed. "Yeah, yeah, Alex… really funny."

**QUICK FLASHBACK END…**

Ah, the good old days. But I won't be able to relive them anytime soon.

Anyway, it's been 10 minutes since I left the hollow. I haven't found any fruit trees. The mango tree yesterday was nowhere to be found. Too bad though. I loved those mangoes; really sweet and tangy to my tongue. All-in-all, I've got to find a fruit tree soon, or else I'll get lost. Worse; I might get killed! Who knows what else is out here in the jungle? Not me, that's for sure. "Damn… I can't get lost now. I don't want to get killed out here as well as Nigel getting worried." I said to myself.

I landed on the first branch that I saw and looked around. The area doesn't look familiar. Damn... Maybe I should have waited until the sun rose, considering my low experience in the jungle. I sighed in slight frustration and rubbed my forehead. I still had that headache from solving those codes. I probably have to wait for two days to pass before I can continue solving those hard-ass codes. After another sigh, I flew off again and started thinking about the surrounding weird silence again.

While I was busy worrying about my situation, I suddenly heard some rustling from the leaves of a tree that I just passed. I immediately stopped on a branch and turned to the direction of the sound. I was wondering what was behind those leaves. Could it be larger birds like me? It might even be some of those birds that beat Nigel up. If they were the ones behind those leaves, probably stalking me and waiting for the opportunity to beat me up as well, then they're in for a rough fight.

As my confidence rapidly built up, I dashed towards the leaves of the tree and immediately made a split opening using my wings, in order for me to find out who was hiding. "Got ya, you little- huh?" No one was behind the leaves. I felt pretty idiotic, just looking at the empty space that is presented to me right now. I sighed in relief, however. At least no one was stalking me or something. I pulled back the leaves together and prepared to take flight once more, when suddenly…

"Well, well… if it isn't the American who helped out the enemy."

I was appalled by the sound of the voice. It was unfortunately a familiar voice. Setting my wings down calmly with my eyes closed, I said "Kipo, what a surprise."

I then turned to the direction of his voice and there he was; standing on the branch that was on my right side. He had his wings folded as he looked at me with a grin that spelled mischief. I glared at him with my devilish red eyes that obviously spelled anger. "For the love of God, Kipo, what do you want this time huh? Did you come back to annoy the crap out of me?"

He didn't reply, but he did fly over to the branch that I was on. As soon as he landed, he immediately shot his wing towards my throat, which I didn't see. The moment he grabbed my throat, he slammed me against something hard and cold, which I think was the tree's body. I didn't know what this guy's problem was but his grip on my throat was getting tighter. For a bird that I'm quite larger than, he was pretty strong. I tried to pry his wing off but then he shot his knee up my lower area. "UGH!"

I clamped my eyes and beak shut so tight because of the pain that he just sent up my cloaca. If I was a human, I would probably feel a whole lot worse. I then heard him say "More like beating the crap out of you; as revenge for what you made Rafael do to me."

I could not believe what I was hearing. He was mad at me all because he was scolded by the Raf. What an immature move! Thankfully, he was loosening his grip on my neck, which allowed me to respond to his nonsense. "Is… Is that all? Is t-that why you're beating me up? Because of what Rafael did to you? Hmph! You deserved that! You all did! What you and the other jerks were doing could've killed Nigel!"

"And he deserved to die! You know why? Because he helped smuggled and killed other birds!"

"You can't entirely blame him for that! He was like that because of what happened in his past! There were others involved! THEY were the ones that pushed him into the darkness known as vengeance. He was so angry that he took out all his anger on even the innocent ones! If you let him explain, you'd understand!"

He then tightened his grip on my neck again. Boy was I getting sick and tired of this stubborn bastard. It makes me want to kill him. But then again, I don't kill others because of anger. I have self-control… Not that I'm saying that Nigel didn't have self-control. I'm sure he does. He was just forced to his limit.

As Kipo once again squeezed my neck tighter, he put his spoon-bill close to my ear and said "I don't want to hear your crap about him anymore. In fact, to add up the fun to my vengeance, I brought some company."

I widened my eyes in slight terror. I don't know who he brought with him, but I don't want to be ganged up on and beaten up. Kipo must've noticed my look of fear because his smile widened to an extent that he pulled out a sinister laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, Alex. If only YOU were around during his reign of terror, then maybe you would understand why we did what we did. But it's too late to go back now, and you'll never be able to have a peaceful slumber with your 'friend' ever again. Speaking of him, did you enjoy sleeping with him in your hollow? I never knew you had a bad taste when it comes to relationships, Alex. I expected better from you, American. HAHA!"

Was he insisting that I was gay? That son of a... "HEY! I'm not gay! We're just staying together because someone like YOU might come in and beat the crap out of him while he's alone. I'm there as his personal friend... Not like you'd understand."

Kipo just looked at me weirdly. What, did he not know that two of HIS friends stay in the same hollow? "Hey, now. I heard that two birds by the name of Nico and Pedro stay in the same hollow, and they're each other's friends too. Why can't Nigel and I stay together when our cause is just the same?"

"Shut up, now! It's time to bring out my friends." He then turned his head around and shouted to the tree behind him. "Come out now, friends. I've got your target!"

I focused on the tree that was standing behind him and out came three large birds. I took a closer look at their details and I concluded that they're White-tailed Eagles. Oh, God. What are they going to do to me? As if I haven't gone through enough already!

As the eagles went closer to me, Kipo, who was still clamping my neck, clarified THEIR sole reasons to why they want to beat me to death as well. "You know, Alex, it was quite coincidental that they were looking for you as I was doing the same. The differences, however, are these; I wanted revenge, while these three eagles were ordered to kill you. I knew they could do my little homework for me by taking you out, so I led them here. I can consider myself lucky that we found you out here… looking for some nice fruits to munch on."

I was fuming. To be honest, I really wanted to beat Kipo up really badly, until his whole face is covered in bruises and blood. But right now, I had better focus on thinking of a way to get out of this mess before I get killed.

However and thankfully, right when I was about to devise a plot to escape, Kipo released me from his wing, allowing me to fall and land on my still-aching cloaca. I greedily sucked in Oxygen while I was holding on to my lower part. I really was about to enter a world of pain, and pretty soon, if I don't get out of here, death.

I was about to place a threat on Kipo when he suddenly said "Alex, meet Diego, Gregorio and Sylvia. These three siblings will take care of you from now on. As for me, I will simply leave you with them. Have fun while it lasts, you poor, little bastardo. HAHA!"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

**Nigel's POV**

"Oh God! Alex! Where'd you run off to?" With much oblige to the gust of wind that blew on me as I slumbered, I woke up, only to find the hollow missing a member, and that was Alex. Was he depressed again? He should know better than to just run off in the jungle ALONE! He could get killed by whatever's out there at this hour! I know he has his gear with him but he's not yet inclined to the environment here.

I immediately stood up, stretched my wings and set flight. I need to locate him immediately before something bad happens to him. If I was him and I was depressed, where would I be? Where would I go to cheer myself up? Perhaps he's by the lake; the same lake where Jewel and I made up and became friends. So I headed to the direction of the lake. Hopefully, I'll find landmarks, like the mango tree he crashed into.

While I was flying, I suddenly spotted a hint of blue behind a tree. Could it be Blu? Could it be Jewel? I hope it's any of them. I needed some assistance in finding Alex. I flew towards the tree and went behind it. Pretty much, I shocked the azure individual. "Oh! Where'd you come from, Nigel?"

It was Jewel. She was feasting on a mango while resting on a branch. "What on Earth are you doing out here in this hour, Jewel? It's still dark and you might get yourself killed by a predator." I said as I reached for her wing.

"It's alright, Nigel. My hollow isn't far from here, and I know the area like the back of my wing. I was just hungry, so I headed here for some fruits." She then cocked her head to her left to try and look behind me. I think she's wondering why Alex isn't with me right now. "Uuh... Why isn't Alex with you? Did you ditch him back in the hollow? Huh... That's not friendly now is it, Nigel?"

I chuckled at her remark, but there's no chance in my wishbone that I'll ever abandon Alex like that. He befriended me, and I'd abandon him? Hmph! That kind of attitude is just plain bad and putrid; not the kind of attitude that I want to stick with. "Yes, that's funny now. Anyway, I need your assistance. Alex left the hollow for I don't know what. He's probably lost out there, and I can't find him on my own. Care to join me in my little search for our American friend, hmm?"

"WHAT? Alex is out there all by himself? Didn't you keep an eye on him?"

"I was asleep! It's not like I could keep one eye open and one eye closed."

"For the love of... Alright. Let's go then. Perhaps we could head over to the direction of the lake. If he's still depressed about his human friend, then he could be there trying to simmer down."

"Well, he could have just stared at the moon. I mean, it's quite lovely right now."

"Hey, I have a friend who was depressed one time and when she looked at the moon, it only made her feel worse."

That's quite odd. I tried that once and it worked for me. Eh... people and birds these days. "Alright, alright. Let's just head to the lake. The fact that I'm worrying about Alex right now is tormenting me."

Jewel, after finishing her mango, then motioned her wing to the right as if she was pointing a direction for me. "Then lead the way, "Mr. Striking Suave."

As we set flight, I eyed her with disbelief as she giggled at my expression. "I'm going to ignore that little remark. You know that song brings back some unwanted memories."

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

He flew off as he laughed victoriously and yet maliciously. Damn! When I get my talons on him, I'm going to pluck all of his feathers off. He's going to wish he never intercepted me.

My thoughts about Kipo were suddenly broken when the larger of the three eagles, which I assume is Diego, lunged his foot towards my chest, pinning me down to the branch and a part of the tree's body. I tried to lift his foot off, but he pushed his weight on me. I couldn't move. To make matters worse, the medium sized eagle, which I think is Gregorio, flew around Diego and then landed his right foot on my neck. Again with the damn strangling…

"Hehe… looks like we've finally got our American bird here." Diego said while looking at Gregorio.

"You got that right, thanks to Kipo! How do you think we should kill him? I'm sure we could enjoy this if we could perhaps torture him?" Gregorio said.

The smaller and somehow extraordinarily beautiful eagle named Sylvia said "Guys! Move aside. I'll deal with him."

And with that, the two brothers complied and flew to the branch next to me, leaving me with Sylvia. As she stood above me while looking straight at me, I couldn't help but secretly adore her. I mean, her eyes were beautiful, especially when the moonlight shines upon them. Her body formation was eye-catching... meaning; she's kind of hot. And her voice... with the Brazilian accent, it sounded angelic. Man... if only she didn't have any intention to kill me, I could ask her out on a date.

I tried to smile, but I was a little nervous with the fact that a hot eagle is just about to kill me. Oh, well. I'll just see how this is going to go.

"So... you're Alex Eisenhower. What a surprise. I never expected my new victim to be quite... the looker."

I blushed when she said that. No one ever called me that, except for the lady that Dexter met in the park back in Minnesota. "Hehe... why, thank you, gorgeous. You're quite the looker as well. Tell me. From which part of Brazil did you come from, huh? I never laid my eyes on someone beautiful like you... except for a macaw named Jewel and a Blue Jay named Arlene. Not that I ever went out with them, but-"

Sylvia then lowered her head towards mine and glared at me as she laid her foot on my chest. Her talons were gripping hard on me. Did I screw the moment? I hope to God I did not. "Hey... OW! OW! Loosen up, lady! I was just complimenting you! Be happy someone appreciates your outstanding beauty! Jeez!" Alright, I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean to snap at her like that. Damn. I think I really did screw up. It's just that she was about to claw a patch of skin off my chest. What more could I not say in the ensuing pain?

"I-I'm sorry. I-I did not mean to- "

Suddenly, her older brother Diego, flew up to my side and kicked me on the side of my head.

"AGH!"

"Watch what you say, you foolish American! Nobody ever dares to snap at my sister, let alone woo her! You pull any merde like that again, and you'll be eating berries straight from your ass! Got that, punk?"

I held on to my head pretty hard. I still had that damn headache from a while ago. "Hey, easy there, hot head. You should thank your lucky stars that I'm not insulting your sister. And another thing; if you're talking about the hole on our lower areas, it's called a cloaca. Brush up on Avian Anatomy. You'll probably get an "A+" in the exams."

And with that little taunt of mine, I got kicked in the head again... twice as hard. I held onto my aching cranium once more as he began to yell. "Won't you shut the f-"

"Hold up, brother. I told you I'll handle this." Thankfully, Sylvia saved me from getting beaten by this jerk. I just wonder what SHE is going to do to me.

"Listen, Alex; we're three deadly White-tailed Eagles ordered to hunt you down. This job's no joke."

I replied while I was rubbing my temples. Diego really let me have it back there. "Really? Do you have any experience with handling someone else's life and then tossing it away?"

Gregorio responded for me this time. "We've killed more than you think, Alex. Even a trained anthropomorphic being like you, couldn't overthrow us."

They were all serious about the issue. I looked into their eyes and they pretty much had murderous intentions written all over them. I've got to get out of this mess. I don't know who gave them orders to eliminate me, but I don't want to hang around longer just to find out. Luckily, I was able to cook up a plan for my escape. It was supposedly meant for Kipo, but I guess it won't hurt to apply it on three eagles. "Well, alright. Good for you guys. I guess I can't get away from my fate."

Diego then laughed at what I just said. "HAHA! It's nice that you accepted your fate without second thoughts. You're actually the first in our list to have done that. Congratulations, Alex!"

"Yeah, thanks. In fact, I'll leave you guys a little present before I pass away."

"And what would that be, hmm?"

"It's called an "ASS-WHOOPIN'"!" Right after I said that, I pushed Sylvia off of me, quickly stood up and immediately pounced on Diego. My resulting action caused us to fall straight to the ground. Luckily there were bushes below us. It would make our landing soft and that it would allow me to give him the full hurt-package rather than letting the ground do the favor.

Diego landed on his back, as a result of falling off the branch, thanks to my action. I gave him a full punch on the face with my right wing and another with my left wing. In fact, I repeated the process a few times. "Yeah, I'm not one to be screwed with too!"

I immediately got off of him as soon as I gave him a final sock on the face. But I was then pounced on by Gregorio. "Gotcha, you little prick!" Before I could do anything, he started wrapping his wings around my neck; attempting to choke me to death. His grip was pretty strong. It was pretty difficult for me to get him off. I quickly scanned my environment to see if I can use anything to get him off before he kills me. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Not even a simple stone or a stick. And then I remembered my equipment. I quickly grabbed my baton, released it and whacked the side of his head.

"Argh!" He screamed as I gave him the brain-shaking blow, making him fall off of me. Once I got back to my feet, I immediately ran off into the darkness of the jungle; hoping that they won't be able to find me.

* * *

><p>I ran, and I ran, and I ran, nonstop. I was getting exhilarated, but I didn't want to get killed by those eagles. Even if I have the equipment to kill them, I didn't want to use them. I'm no murderer after all.<p>

Who ordered them to kill me? And whoever gave them the orders, how did he or she find out about me? This is all getting me confused. And I thought danger was already far from me.

Anyway, I kept running and running. Then I decided to fly instead. I thought that flying would get me farther from those homicidal murderers. So I was flying on, when all of a sudden I bumped into something... or someone. "OW! Hey! Watch where you're flying!"

"I-I'm sorry. I was just trying to get away from- Wait a minute... Nigel?"

It seemed that I had bumped into Nigel in the midst of escaping. "Alex? Where have you been all this time? I was starting to get worried! Jewel and I have been looking all over for you!"

"I'm sorry, guys. It's just that I got hungry, and I thought of going out to get myself a fruit or two. But then I was intercepted by Kipo and he said he wanted revenge for what I made Rafael do to him. So he brought company with him. And guess what? The company he brought were looking for me; ordered and determined to hunt me down."

Jewel then chimed in, sounding confused. "Wait, wait, wait. Who did he bring with him?"

"Three White-tailed Eagles by the name of Diego, Gregorio and Sylvia. I don't know how their leaders found out about me, but I didn't stick long enough to find out." I was breathing heavily in between my speech. After all, I was really tired from all that running and flying. I wanted to go back to the hollow before the sun rises.

Nigel wanted to as well. He was still sleepy. "You can explain the rest after we get some sleep, alright? We'll talk about it before I leave for Nico and Pedro."

I simply nodded. I was really tired. It was only then when my drowsiness got me. Damn it! Why could it not have gotten to me a while ago?

Eh... All-in-all, once I recuperate, I'm going to start finding some answers about those eagles and whoever gave them the orders to hunt me down... Right after I get to know Rafael's family and Blu's family. But as of now... I need to get some sleep. It's probably around 5:00 am, and it already feels like it's been several hours.

* * *

><p><strong>Resident Evil 3: Nemesis<strong>

**Resident Evil 4**

Those titles belong to "Capcom".

Author's Note: So? How did it go? Intriguing enough? I hope so. :)

Feel free to review. Let me know if something's wrong. :D

More chapters are to come. About "Project: Scarlet"; my apologies if its update speed is not comparable to this one. I'm just focusing on this story first. But once I get this story done, the other story might update almost as fast as this one. :)


	11. Family Visits and Sylvia's Realization

Author's Note: I'm sorry if the length of the last chapter wasn't as long as what most of you expected. My head was practically throbbing after hiking under the hot sun. I mean, can you imagine; you're in a mountainous region, but the sun is actually closer to you. The clouds weren't even plentiful. If they were even there, they weren't big enough to shroud me with their shade. Oh, well. Even Mother Nature can be merciless at times…

Anyway, this chapter will have two parts. A half of this chapter will focus on Alex, Nigel and their friends, while the other half focuses on Sylvia and her brothers.

Here is my first two-sectioned chapter: Chapter 11! Enjoy! :D

* * *

><p>Family Visits and Sylvia's Realizations<p>

We last left Alex, Nigel and Jewel during the hour of his (Alex) unexpected run-in with Kipo and his "new friends". Alex sees the three eagles as a threat, but decides to worry about it in the future. Nigel applies his concern for Alex by asking him to tell him what really happened back there before going with the day's plans.

Meanwhile, Sylvia also gets into dilemmas of her own. Both physical... and emotional.

* * *

><p>Section 1: Alex's Story of the Last Event and Meeting the Families<p>

10:30 am…

**Nigel's POV**

"Alright… Alex, I'll leave for a meeting with Nico, Pedro and Blu in probably around 30 minutes. Now, while we wait… Why don't you tell me what happened this morning, hmm? Tell me about what Kipo did and fill me in about those eagles."

We were in the hollow. The sun had already revealed itself upon the land, and Alex and I were just sitting on the nest, resting from the hearty breakfast we had. I had a small-plate-sized leaf filled with delectable fruits, while Alex had the same but with an add-on: a nice, juicy fish.

As soon as we were done breathing heavily from our breakfast, Alex decided to tell him what happened. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you from the start."

"Go on…" I was ready to take in any information on these said eagles. Alex protected me before. Now it's my turn to do the same. I don't think I can stand not repaying a friend who has done so much for me. Saving me from being beaten was a good and plentiful favor that has been played for me.

Before Alex began, he cleared his throat. And now… here's when his explanation comes in. "You remember me stating that I headed out to get some fruits, right? When we crashed into each other?"

"Certainly… Why?" I said as I rubbed my head.

"Well, that was the reason why I went out of the hollow. I was trying to look for the same mango tree that I bumped into the other morning, but it was dark; assuming that I headed out during the early morning. Now, while I was flying and simply enjoying the early morning breeze of the jungle, I heard some leaf-rustling from a tree. I thought it would be predators or pranksters… or a few of the same birds that intercepted you during my first day here; stalking me and waiting for the perfect time to beat me up."

Huh… I remember that day. Stupid pretty birds… not wanting to hear me out and taking their thirst for revenge as a first priority. "Yes… Go on…"

"I went over to the tree and inspected the leaves. There was no one behind them. I felt pretty stupid for my false assumption. But then I heard Kipo's voice."

Kipo… his name brings me the chills. Hearing his name makes me hallucinate… seeing him laugh maniacally as I get mercilessly pummeled to death. If it's not the other birds that make me shudder, it's him. He just has so many connections. It's almost as if the whole of Rio knows him, like Rafael… only Rafael's a whole lot nicer than that spoon-billed… freak. I didn't want Alex to see my incoming anger, so I just continued to listen; pretending not think about anything.

"I thought that Kipo would annoy me with his pals, but boy was I wrong. He threatened me and kicked me on my… well, "you-know-what". He said that what he was doing and what he was about to do next was revenge for making Rafael scold them and-"

"AARRGH!" I couldn't help but yell out in infuriation. He ATTACKED Alex! I'll be true to my words and feelings here but that little bastard's going to wake up in a cage which is being carried by a plane en route to Africa! The lions should enjoy having him as an afternoon snack and I'll make sure that I'll be there to witness his suffering.

I was so angered that I didn't even notice Alex trying to know what was wrong. "Woah, woah! Nigel! What's gotten into you?"

To be honest, I was ignoring his question because of my anger. I was clenching my wings like fists. "If I get my talons on that son of a… AGH!"

"Nigel! What's wrong?" He started yelling a bit.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? He attacked you! That's what's wrong! He deserves to get kicked in his… his…"

I felt like my head was going to blow from all the steam that was building in my head. It was only a matter of time until it actually blew up. But then Alex comforted me by patting my shoulder. "Hey now, Nigel, calm down. It's alright. I'm fine. I'm here now, so there's nothing to be worried about. Besides, you said it yourself; revenge will only lead you to more trouble and not true satisfaction. YOU don't want to be a hypocrite now, wouldn't you?"

That's… what I said. I felt a bit ashamed of my immature reaction. My look of anger was quickly replaced with a frown. "I'm sorry… It's just that… I hate him. I despise him so much. If it's not fear that gets into me when I simply hear his name, it's anger; considering the fact that he hurt you."

"Wait… there's fear?"

"Yes… after what he and his beautifully colored army did to me… I kept having hallucinations of them… mocking me… beating me to death… You weren't the only one having nightmares, Alex. Even I was…"

I turned my head to the right as I half-closed my eyes and we stayed silent for a while. Alex was rubbing the back of his head with his wing; looking concerned.

After a few minutes of the surrounding awkward silence, Alex looked at me with a smile. "That's Kipo's problem then, not yours or anyone else's. You don't have to worry about them coming back on you. Why? Because I'm here for you. Blu, Jewel, Rafael and sooner, Nico and Pedro, are there for you as well."

Hmm… I'm glad I made the right call to make Alex my acquaintance. "You told me last night that my nightmares did not happen in reality, correct?"

"Uh-huh..."

"Well... so yours did… but you're still alive, right?"

I slowly formed a smile on my face. I was so touched, and he's right. I'm still right here; alive, and my friends will be there for me, so I guess I really don't have to worry about anything at all. "Much appreciated, Alex. I feel a lot better now."

"HAHA! There we go! Don't worry, and be happy!"

All of a sudden, we were laughing; all because of how cheesy but meaningful his comment was. Ah... the beauty of friendship. "Haha... oohhh... I'm sorry for my sudden interruption a while ago. Care to continue your explanation?"

"Yeah, of course. Now... as I was saying..."

**As Alex continues his story...**

I clamped my eyes and beak shut so tight because of the pain that he just sent up my cloaca. If I was a human, I would probably feel a whole lot worse. I then heard him say "More like beating the crap out of you; as revenge for what you made Rafael do to me."

I could not believe what I was hearing. He was mad at me all because he was scolded by the Raf. What an immature move! Thankfully, he was loosening his grip on my neck, which allowed me to respond to his nonsense. "Is… Is that all? Is t-that why you're beating me up? Because of what Rafael did to you? Hmph! You deserved that! You all did! What you and the other jerks were doing could've killed Nigel!"

"And he deserved to die! You know why? Because he helped smuggled and killed other birds!"

"You can't entirely blame him for that! He was like that because of what happened in his past! There were others involved! THEY were the ones that pushed him into the darkness known as vengeance. He was so angry that he took out all his anger on even the innocent ones! If you let him explain, you'd understand!"

He then tightened his grip on my neck again. Boy was I getting sick and tired of this stubborn bastard. It makes me want to kill him. But then again, I don't kill others because of anger. I have self-control… Not that I'm saying that Nigel didn't have self-control. I'm sure he does. He was just forced to his limit.

As Kipo once again squeezed my neck tighter, he put his spoon-bill close to my ear and said "I don't want to hear your crap about him anymore. In fact, to add up the fun to my vengeance, I brought some company."

I widened my eyes in slight terror. I don't know who he brought with him, but I don't want to be ganged up on and beaten up. Kipo must've noticed my look of fear because his smile widened to an extent that he pulled out a sinister laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, Alex. If only YOU were around during his reign of terror, then maybe you would understand why we did what we did. But it's too late to go back now, and you'll never be able to have a peaceful slumber with your 'friend' ever again. Speaking of him, did you enjoy sleeping with him in your hollow? I never knew you had a bad taste when it comes to relationships, Alex. I expected better from you, American. HAHA!"

Was he insisting that I was gay? That son of a... "HEY! I'm not gay! We're just staying together because someone like YOU might come in and beat the crap out of him while he's alone. I'm there as his personal friend... Not like you'd understand."

Kipo just looked at me weirdly. What, did he not know that two of HIS friends stay in the same hollow? "Hey, now. I heard that two birds by the name of Nico and Pedro stay in the same hollow, and they're each other's friends too. Why can't Nigel and I stay together when our cause is just the same?"

"Shut up, now! It's time to bring out my friends." He then turned his head around and shouted to the tree behind him. "Come out now, friends. I've got your target!"

I focused on the tree that was standing behind him and out came three large birds. I took a closer look at their details and I concluded that they're White-tailed Eagles. Oh, God. What are they going to do to me? As if I haven't gone through enough already!

As the eagles went closer to me, Kipo, who was still clamping my neck, clarified THEIR sole reasons to why they want to beat me to death as well. "You know, Alex, it was quite coincidental that they were looking for you as I was doing the same. The differences, however, are these; I wanted revenge, while these three eagles were ordered to kill you. I knew they could do my little homework for me by taking you out, so I led them here. I can consider myself lucky that we found you out here… looking for some nice fruits to munch on."

I was fuming. To be honest, I really wanted to beat Kipo up really badly, until his whole face is covered in bruises and blood. But right now, I had better focus on thinking of a way to get out of this mess before I get killed.

However and thankfully, right when I was about to devise a plot to escape, Kipo released me from his wing, allowing me to fall and land on my still-aching cloaca. I greedily sucked in Oxygen while I was holding on to my lower part. I really was about to enter a world of pain, and pretty soon, if I don't get out of here, death.

I was about to place a threat on Kipo when he suddenly said "Alex, meet Diego, Gregorio and Sylvia. These three siblings will take care of you from now on. As for me, I will simply leave you with them. Have fun while it lasts, you poor, little bastardo. HAHA!"

He flew off as he laughed victoriously and yet maliciously. Damn! When I get my talons on him, I'm going to pluck all of his feathers off. He's going to wish he never intercepted me.

My thoughts about Kipo were suddenly broken when the larger of the three eagles, which I assume is Diego, lunged his foot towards my chest, pinning me down to the branch and a part of the tree's body. I tried to lift his foot off, but he pushed his weight on me. I couldn't move. To make matters worse, the medium sized eagle, which I think is Gregorio, flew around Diego and then landed his right foot on my neck. Again with the damn strangling…

"Hehe… looks like we've finally got our American bird here." Diego said while looking at Gregorio.

"You got that right, thanks to Kipo! How do you think we should kill him? I'm sure we could enjoy this if we could perhaps torture him?" Gregorio said.

The smaller and somehow extraordinarily beautiful eagle named Sylvia said "Guys! Move aside. I'll deal with him."

And with that, the two brothers complied and flew to the branch next to me, leaving me with Sylvia. As she stood above me while looking straight at me, I couldn't help but secretly adore her. I mean, her eyes were beautiful, especially when the moonlight shines upon them. Her body formation was eye-catching... meaning; she's kind of hot. And her voice... with the Brazilian accent, it sounded angelic. Man... if only she didn't have any intention to kill me, I could ask her out on a date.

I tried to smile, but I was a little nervous with the fact that a hot eagle is just about to kill me. Oh, well. I'll just see how this is going to go.

"So... you're Alex Eisenhower. What a surprise. I never expected my new victim to be quite... the looker."

I blushed when she said that. No one ever called me that, except for the lady that Dexter met in the park back in Minnesota. "Hehe... why, thank you, gorgeous. You're quite the looker as well. Tell me. From which part of Brazil did you come from, huh? I never laid my eyes on someone beautiful like you... except for a macaw named Jewel and a Blue Jay named Arlene. Not that I ever went out with them, but-"

Sylvia then lowered her head towards mine and glared at me as she laid her foot on my chest. Her talons were gripping hard on me. Did I screw the moment? I hope to God I did not. "Hey... OW! OW! Loosen up, lady! I was just complimenting you! Be happy someone appreciates your outstanding beauty! Jeez!" Alright, I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean to snap at her like that. Damn. I think I really did screw up. It's just that she was about to claw a patch of skin off my chest. What more could I not say in the ensuing pain?

"I-I'm sorry. I-I did not mean to- "

Suddenly, her older brother Diego, flew up to my side and kicked me on the side of my head.

"AGH!"

"Watch what you say, you foolish American! Nobody ever dares to snap at my sister, let alone woo her! You pull any merde like that again, and you'll be eating berries straight from your ass! Got that, punk?"

I held on to my head pretty hard. I still had that damn headache from a while ago. "Hey, easy there, hot head. You should thank your lucky stars that I'm not insulting your sister. And another thing; if you're talking about the hole on our lower areas, it's called a cloaca. Brush up on Avian Anatomy. You'll probably get an "A+" in the exams."

And with that little taunt of mine, I got kicked in the head again... twice as hard. I held onto my aching cranium once more as he began to yell. "Won't you shut the f-"

"Hold up, brother. I told you I'll handle this." Thankfully, Sylvia saved me from getting beaten by this jerk. I just wonder what SHE is going to do to me.

"Listen, Alex; we're three deadly White-tailed Eagles ordered to hunt you down. This job's no joke."

I replied while I was rubbing my temples. Diego really let me have it back there. "Really? Do you have any experience with handling someone else's life and then tossing it away?"

Gregorio responded for me this time. "We've killed more than you think, Alex. Even a trained anthropomorphic being like you, couldn't overthrow us."

They were all serious about the issue. I looked into their eyes and they pretty much had murderous intentions written all over them. I've got to get out of this mess. I don't know who gave them orders to eliminate me, but I don't want to hang around longer just to find out. Luckily, I was able to cook up a plan for my escape. It was supposedly meant for Kipo, but I guess it won't hurt to apply it on three eagles. "Well, alright. Good for you guys. I guess I can't get away from my fate."

Diego then laughed at what I just said. "HAHA! It's nice that you accepted your fate without second thoughts. You're actually the first in our list to have done that. Congratulations, Alex!"

"Yeah, thanks. In fact, I'll leave you guys a little present before I pass away."

"And what would that be, hmm?"

"It's called an "ASS-WHOOPIN'"!" Right after I said that, I pushed Sylvia off of me, quickly stood up and immediately pounced on Diego. My resulting action caused us to fall straight to the ground. Luckily there were bushes below us. It would make our landing soft and that it would allow me to give him the full hurt-package rather than letting the ground do the favor.

Diego landed on his back, as a result of falling off the branch, thanks to my action. I gave him a full punch on the face with my right wing and another with my left wing. In fact, I repeated the process a few times. "Yeah, I'm not one to be screwed with too!"

I immediately got off of him as soon as I gave him a final sock on the face. But I was then pounced on by Gregorio. "Gotcha, you little prick!" Before I could do anything, he started wrapping his wings around my neck; attempting to choke me to death. His grip was pretty strong. It was pretty difficult for me to get him off. I quickly scanned my environment to see if I can use anything to get him off before he kills me. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Not even a simple stone or a stick. And then I remembered my equipment. I quickly grabbed my baton, released it and whacked the side of his head.

"Argh!" He screamed as I gave him the brain-shaking blow, making him fall off of me. Once I got back to my feet, I immediately ran off into the darkness of the jungle; hoping that they won't be able to find me.

**The end of Alex's explanation...**

"And that's how I bumped into you guys…" Alex said as he rubbed his forehead. Yeah... that blasted crash. Well, who can blame who? After all, it was still dark then. I began rubbing my head as well. It was still pounding from the sudden crash of ours.

Thinking about what he said, especially the reasons why he went out, I questioned him again. "Wait a minute… You're an eagle. You're supposed to be looking for fish or any kind of meat, not fruits."

"I know… But you know how my life went; living in a human's house, being fed with different kinds of food… And it will take me time if I decided to get fish."

"Why is that?" I was starting to get confused. Eagles love fish and will see them as the first and best choice of food. Was there something that he didn't like about fish?

He then pointed to his half-eaten fish on his leaf-plate. "Because I don't eat these kinds of fishes raw. If I were to eat raw fishes, then that would be Salmon; like the ones you find in the northern parts of the United States, and Canada."

I couldn't help but give myself a face-palm. I'll be honest here; this eagle needs a really huge piece of the wilderness, PRONTO! "Ergh... alright, alright. Well, at least now I know why you went out. But next time, please notify me when you're going to do that again."

"I'm sorry, Nigel, but I didn't want to disturb you in your sleep."

Hmm... good point. I'm sometimes dragged to the extent that I'm in a really sour mood, especially when my slumber is interrupted. "Well... fine." I said as I stood up from my sitting position so I could stretch my wings up.

"UUUURRRRGGGGHHH! Aaahhh..." Stretching never felt this better...

"Well, I'm off to Nico's and Pedro's hollow. Uhh... What were you going to do again?"

"Visit Rafael's family as well as Blu and Jewel's kids." He said as he too stood up from the nest.

"Alright. But what are you going to do about your... half-eaten fish? You can't just toss it away. you know?" I mentioned with a smirk on my face. There's no way he's going to dispose of that fish without completely devouring the rest of the meat on it.

Alex must've noticed my expression because he immediately grabbed his half-eaten fish and prepared to gobble it up. "Alright, alright. I'll finish it up." And with that, he quickly tore out the meat from the fish with his beak until it was all bone and no meat.

"There. (BUURRRPPP) Whoops... Excuse me. Hehe... Anyway, have fun with Nico and Pedro, and good luck getting them to befriend you."

"Alright. Thanks." I said as I went over to the exit of the hollow. But right when I was about to take flight, I remembered a part of Alex's explanation, which concerns the female eagle he met; the sister of the other two eagles. Ho ho ho... I think he's got a crush on that femme fatalle. I turned my head to him and looked at him with a sly smile. When he saw my look he went like "What? Is there something on me?" He said as he started checking his body if there really was something on him.

"No, no. But all I can say to you now is this; I'll see you later, have fun with the families, and... good luck getting the girl."

"Oh, thanks Nigel. That means a lot to m- Hey, wait! WHAT?"

I didn't reply to his sudden reaction as I just took off while laughing. Oh, Alex. For an eagle who is prone to being involved in government issues, you sure do have the talent of entertaining.

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

Alright... That was uncalled for. I hope he doesn't tell everyone else about my feelings for her. And the fish I just ate... meh. I have got to get used to the conditions of the South. I think I wallowed too much in the cold of the North that I got so used to the conditions of things in that status. But on the other hand, my friends should try eating salmon one day. They're pretty good. I'm sure Blu was able to get his wings on some, though. After all, he was raised in the North his entire life.

Anyway, right after he left, I grabbed my empty leaf-plate, flew out of the hollow and went to a bush. Right when I landed, I made a hole on the ground so I can bury the inedible parts of my breakfast. They serve as good fertilizer and the seeds of the fruits that I ate would help grow more trees around here. I'm not an extreme environmentalist, but I'm just doing what's right for nature.

As soon as I was done with that, I flew back into the hollow so I could get my belt. There was no way I would leave without that, now that I have three... wait. Make that TWO homicidal eagles on my tail. I won't consider Sylvia as a threat to me. She's such a gorgeous eagle. Even though she said that they were deadly eagles and that they've killed more than I think, when I looked deeper into her eyes... there was beauty and tranquility. It's one of the reasons why I just simply pushed her off of me. Her brothers... they got what they deserved, and that was an ass-whoopin'.

I sat on the nest for a while; thinking about me and her together, flying through the skies of Rio... or flying above the fields in Alabama... or flying above the parks in Minnesota! And then we would enjoy a meal of salmon that's fresh from the forest rivers and fresh fruits and vegetables. Ah, I would savor each moment with her...

Agh! What am I thinking? She's not on my side! She'll probably even claw my eyes out before I could even say "Did you know that I like you?" She probably might even do so before I can finish my sentence like "Did you know that I like- (SCRATCH!) AAAGGHH! WHAT THE HELL!"

Oh, well. Tough love, I guess.

I'm just going to drop my thoughts about her for a while. Right now, I should be on my way to Raf's house. Jewel and her kids along with Rafael, his mate and his kids are probably waiting for me.

I stood up from the nest, checked my inventory and then set out for their hollow. I just hope to God that I do not crash into another tree branch on the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at Rafael and Eva's Place...<strong>

**Rafael's POV**

"RYAN! EMILIA! Come in here this instant, right now!" My wife, Eva, started calling out for our eldest son and daughter, and she sounded quite angry. The tone of her voice tells it all. Jewel was just there by the corner watching the kids.

Great... what did those two do this time? Did they tick off another snake?

When I faced the hollow entrance, they came in; looking a bit nervous. Yup... they must've done something that Eva doesn't want them doing. "Y-yes, Mom?" They said in unison.

"What did I tell you two about neglecting our youngest son when bathing in the river?"

"Mom! We didn't neglect our baby brother! Why would you think we would do such a thing?" Ryan said, sounding a little irked.

"Why? Oh, let's see... Ah, here's why; IT'S BECAUSE HE SAID SO!" Woah... She had better calm down... Although, she's got a point. One must not leave their youngest sibling unattended when bathing in the river. Who knows what lurks beneath the water...

"We most certainly did not leave our baby brother, Mom! Ryan and I were keeping a close eye on him!" Emilia retorted, also sounding a bit irked.

Now, Emilia and Ryan are responsible children of mine and Eva. I think that it's impossible for them to do such an irresponsible act. Something doesn't seem right here. I looked around our huge hollow, eyeing my children. They were all doing what they usually do; horsing around... with Blu and Jewel's kids though. I eyed all of them with suspicion in my eyes, until I stopped to look at my youngest child. He looked like he was giggling at the sight of Ryan and Emilia being scolded. 'Hmm... I think I found our little culprit.' I thought to myself as I went over to him and gently picked him up. However, he must have found out what I was about to do because he tried squirming out of my wings. Well, I may be around 25 years old, but that doesn't stop me from working out and therefore, strengthening my body.

I cut Eva's scolding and revealed the ultimate secret. "Eva-honey, I think I found our little culprit."

They looked at me with a weird expression. "Uuhh, Rafael... HE was the one who told me that our two eldest children neglected him and that he nearly drowned. How can he be the one reason why I'm scolding these two?"

"Because he was giggling at the sight of them being scolded by you. They didn't to anything wrong. It was merely a prank by our little angel." I said as I chuckled. Hehe... children these days... And that angel thing... I was being discreetly sarcastic. Our children are practically demons, excluding Ryan and Emilia; now that they're older.

"Oooohhh... Well, I'm terribly sorry for scolding the both of you. I should have observed properly... Can you forgive me?" Eva said sweetly as she turned to face her relieved eldest children.

"Of course, Mom. But I think the talk you were giving us should be directed to our fellow youngest brother here, now that you know who was responsible for the 'act' committed..." Said Ryan as he smirked. His and Emilia's eyes had signs of relief written all over them. Hehe... reminds me of when I was being scolded by my mother and then it turns out it was just a misunderstanding.

"Oh, yeah, he'll get the talk." She then turned to the child I was carrying. "Young man, you and I are going to have a talk, okay?" She said sweetly, which caused Ryan and Emilia to look... well... shocked.

"Aww... Mom... Why does he get the sweet talk and we get the yells?"

"Because, mejo and meja, you two are old enough to know better while the younger ones should go through things with ease. I learned that it is better not to frighten them yet with reality. I know... It does not sound like me at all, but I am still your sweet, loving and **frightening** mother you've come to know and love. Also, keep in mind that you two came from me..." She explained with a sly smile as she looked at me with a somewhat... seductive smile...

"Uuhh, yeah. Hehe, you got that right, my juicy little mango." I confirmed with a tone of nervousness in my voice. It's been quite a while since me and Eva had some alone time. Well, I hope she doesn't have the thought of dragging me into that issue later tonight. I don't have the guts to do it with her. To be honest... she went a little rough on me on our first time. But I was still younger then, so the feeling then was different compared to what I may feel now.

Ryan and Emilia must have caught the direction of what Eva said because they both suddenly reacted in obvious disgust. "Uugh! Mom! You didn't have to point that out!"

Secretly, I was on their side of the issue, but I just smiled back at Eva. I didn't want her think of the whole issue the wrong way.

I turned half-way towards the hollow so I could sigh in secret; hoping that Eva wouldn't hear or see my true reaction. But my thoughts about what we were talking about a while ago were blasted when one of my sons suddenly screamed. "BIG-BIRD INTRUDER INCOMING!"

Big bird? There's no other big bird that would come to our hollow, unless it was... Wait... That might be Alex! He doesn't even know what's about to come to him! I quickly turned around to tell them not to attack, but I guess there's no stopping them now. "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT- OOF! AGH! YOWZERS!"

Pretty much... it was too late. They stampeded their way to the hollow in order to get to Alex, with the result of me stumbling and getting stepped on. Oh well... at least Blu and Jewel's kids didn't join the stampede.

"Here, let me help you up, Uncle Rafael." Brandon chuckled said as he went over to me and put out his wing for me to grab hold of.

I grabbed it and he pulled me up. Boy, those kids know how to run like they were caribous running away from predators. "Thanks. But we have to go out there before they lay their wings on Alex."

The three Gunderson children suddenly had wide-eyed expressions on their faces, as if the name rang a bell. Miguel spoke up with a bit of excitement soaking his voice. "Alex? That must be the new friend Mom and Dad were talking about!"

"Exactly! Now we have to get him before-"

"AAAGGGHHH! WHERE'D YOU ALL COME FROM? GAH! LET GO OF MY TAIL-FEATHERS! OOF! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! D-DON'T TOUCH THAT! THAT'S NOT A TOY! (BANG!) OW! OW, MY FOOT!"

We were all looking at each other with looks of worry. "Ah, no..." I said in a slightly annoyed tone.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

On a comfortable couch lies a sleeping man who was suddenly awaken by an audible noise coming from the jungle. "Woah! Meu Deus!"

"What's wrong honey? Did you have another Ornithologist's nightmare?" Said a woman as she came into the study room from the kitchen while carrying a tray containing mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of freshly baked cookies.

The man immediately sat up from the couch and grabbed his glasses. "No, Linda. It wasn't a nightmare. I just heard a noise coming from the jungle. It sounded like a gun shot."

"Really? I didn't hear anything. The only time I've heard gun shots was when a fire-fight started between the Brazilian and American presidents and their agents against a group of thugs. Well, thankfully they're safe..." Linda replied as she sat down next to him.

"But I swear I heard something quite loud..."

"Oh, calm down, Tulio. You're always a worry-wart. There's nothing to worry about. Here. Have some cookies and hot chocolate. It will make you feel better."

Tulio at first thought about it, but then he smiled and nodded as he took a mug and some cookies from the tray. "Okay, then. Thank you, Linda."

* * *

><p><strong>A Few Minutes Later... Back in Rafael and Eva's Hollow...<strong>

While Eva was having a long talk with the little demons, Ryan, Emilia, Jewel, the Gunderson children and I were patching Alex's wounds and bruises up with some herbal medicine and used Jewel's old cast as a makeshift bandage. At least he had more bruises than he had wounds. His only wounds were some scratches on his chest and a gun shot wound on his foot. Thankfully, the bullet only went through muscles and not bones.

"(RRIIPPP! Pat pat...) There! All patched up and ready to go, Uncle Alex!" Squeaked a happy Emilia and Tina.

"Thanks, guys. Man, those kids know how to beat a target..." Alex said in a tone of relief and slight fear as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. Hehe... now he's finally got a taste of those kids.

"Well, you'll have to get used to it, Alex. They do that just about every time they see someone unfamiliar. Actually, even familiar faces, especially Blu and Jewel, get those kinds of treatments from my children every time they see them."

Once Alex heard that, he looked at me with a look of disbelief, while Jewel, her kids and my two elder kids giggled at his expression. "S-so you're saying... if I come back, and they see me... they'll do this to me... AGAIN?"

"Not the shooting, of course. But the beating and the pulling of feathers... yeah, pretty much. The only ones who are excluded from their list of victims are Blu and Jewel's kids, me and of course, Eva. But if they can't attack her, they simply horse around her, which she does not mind as long as no one is getting hurt."

And with that, Alex lowered his head in worry. I feel sorry for my amigo. But unfortunately for him, that's how it will be until they grow up. "Ah, don't worry amigo! You'll get used to it!"

"Yeah, Alex. In fact, there's one sentence that always prevents them from continuing their assault..." Jewel said in pure confidence, as she motioned closer to Alex, specifically bringing her beak closer to his ear. Huh... good thinking, Jewel. If the other children heard what you're about to say, I'm sure it won't be long until they can find a way around it.

"What's that, Jewel? Oh wait, let me guess; I'll call your mother." Alex replied blankly. As soon as he said that, we all looked at him in awe as Jewel cancelled her intended action. In fact, what Alex just said was what Jewel was supposed to say. How on Earth did he know the answer immediately? "H-how did you know?" I asked, sounding surprised.

Alex sighed and stood up from his position. "I've seen them in many movies. Mothers are sometimes, if not always, the scariest members of the family. No offense, Eva and Jewel."

"None taken, Alex."

Heh, Alex and his stuff with humans and their activities. Oh, well. At least he knows something that we don't. And I won't forget to add Blu to that part too, since he was with Linda for 15 years. Hmm... I wonder how it feels to have a human as a companion...

"Well? What are we waiting for, guys? It's time to start familiarizing with each other." My thoughts were crumbled as soon as Alex mentioned that. I forgot... he came here to know the families.

"Hehe.. Alright, Alex! There's no need to hurry" I said as I sat down with the rest of the birds. Oh, boy. This is going to be a long day...

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile... again... At an abandoned warehouse, not far from the jungle vicinity...<strong>

Section 2: Sylvia's Realization

**Sylvia's POV**

"What the Hell, Sylvia! Why did you not go after him? You perfectly saw me and Gregorio knocked down! You were only simply pushed off of him, so that doesn't give you an excuse to not take any blame for his escape!" My older brother was yelling at me and scolding me because I had let Alex escape. I have my reasons to why I did not go after him. I remember saying that he was a looker, and it's true. He really is. When I glared at him for wooing me, I didn't actually mean that glare. I kind of blushed under my feathers when he said those things. However, of all the things that couldn't get my eyes off of, it was his eyes. They were strangely painted with a shade of red, which I think is not normal. Bald Eagles are supposed to have yellow eyes, if I'm correct. But to put all of that aside, I also noticed something else in his eyes. It was the determination to hopefully become friends at the very least. All of that is why I did not go after him. I did not care if I would be executed for not following a direct order.

Actually, speaking of orders, I can't wait until the police find those terrorist-scumbags. I'm tired of participating in the assassination missions that they give us. I mean, all-in-all, killing is wrong. It's true that I have killed plenty alongside with my brothers. Our victims were mostly pets or companions of specific humans that dared to cross paths with those terrorists. But remembering how they all looked at me when I was to make the final kill, I just felt a ton of guilt. "Look, Diego! I did not go after him anymore because I did not want to kill him! I'm tired of killing! I'm tired of seeing blood splattering around me as well as hearing the screams of our victims!"

My reply sent my brother into a stage of roaring rage. To be honest, even I do not want to deal with him when he's like that. But since I plan to change for the better, I prepared to make my stand. "How dare you say that! You always enjoyed slaughtering all of our targets! W-who are you right now? YOU'RE NOT MY SISTER!"

I stood up and abruptly went over to him, also feeling enraged by his ranting and lack of understanding. "And I do not plan on continuing my life as your sister if you don't stop following orders from those terrorists! Those guys are nothing but walking sacks of... of..."

"Go on... say it. I dare you... Say it..." His voice sounded calm but had murderous intentions soaking it. I didn't care though. I didn't want to be his sister anymore if all of this were to continue.

"THOSE GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT WALKING SACKS OF SHIT!"

All of a sudden, he charged and pounced at me, letting me be pinned down with his foot on my neck, slowly gripping it tightly. "Uurgh... you wouldn't kill your own-ugh... sister..."

"I would if you don't take that back... AND NOT SHUT THE HELL UP!" He said as he lowered his head to me, glaring at me. That's it! I had enough of this nonsense. I'm thinking about getting out of here and try to find Alex so I could apologize. I know he won't trust me immediately, but I'm sure he'll give me a second chance. I mean, I overheard Kipo talking to Alex about Nigel. If I remember correctly, Nigel used to be a star in South American tela nobelas. But after his sudden downfall, he mysteriously disappeared. And coincidentally, bird-smuggling became such a big hit around the place. Perhaps Nigel had something to do with it, then he suddenly felt guilty and then he bumped into Kipo and his so-called army of birds and took revenge by nearly killing him. And then Alex must have appeared in the scene and kept Kipo and the others away from him and gave Nigel a second chance. At least that's how I understood their conversation before we came out from the trees.

Anyway, I'm not going to have my so-called brother choking me to death. I'm going to do what I have to do. "N-no... I won't shut up... BUT I WILL GET AWAY FROM ALL OF YOU!" I yelled as I scrounged up all my strength and pried his foot off my neck. As soon as I did that, I did something that I did not regret. I gave him a loud-thudded punch in the face, making him fall to the ground. "That's for threatening me and putting your honor for those terrorists in front of innocent lives!"

I immediately flew towards the top window of the warehouse, but then I heard Gregorio and what I believe is the cocking of a gun. If you must know, us three eagles also have our share of anthropomorphism. I looked behind me and I saw him perched on a worn-out scaffolding "You're not flying out of this one, you traitorous bitch!" He yelled as he pulled out an H&K MP5A2 built for his size, and started firing away. I did my best in dodging every bullet he had to throw at me at the same time nearing the window. I was hoping that he would run out of ammo, but when I observed his gun before he started shooting, I saw that he had an extended-dual mag. It gives him the advantage to reload faster and not run out of bullets immediately; making it hard for me to escape.

"Just hold still and I'll make it quick, little sister! HAHA! A bullet to the brain won't hurt as much!" My God! What he said just gave me the chills on my spine!

"(RATATATATATATATATATATATAT-CLICK!) Agh, merde!" He's jammed! Now's my chance! I regained my flight path and flew towards the window. However, when I got there, the window was locked. "No, no, no!" I mentally yelled as I tried to bash the window broken.

"Diego! She's by the window! Shoot her down, now!" Gregorio shouted as he tried to fix the jammed gun. When I looked to where me and Diego were a while ago, I saw him there as he took out a sniper rifle built for his size. It was a Dragunov Sniper Rifle. It's not as powerful as the U.S. Army's Barrett .50, but since I'm just an eagle, Diego's rifle can instantly put me down if I'm hit in the right spot.

"I'm sorry, Sylvia, but you brought us to this extent. We won't need you anymore." Diego said as he aimed for me. I hit the window multiple times with all my might but to no avail. Thinking that this will be the end of me, I braced myself for the rifle to end me and closed my eyes.

"(BANG-CRACK!)"

I opened my eyes due to the sharp pain that flooded my body, specifically my stomach, and held on to that area; blood seeping through the hole. However, I heard a crack from behind me. Ha! Diego just did me a big favor. With the both of them looking at me through their weapons' sights, I smiled and gave them my last message. "Thank you, gentlemen. Especially you, Diego."

"What..." Diego said in a confused tone as he lowered his rifle.

"You just did me a huge favor." I said, and then I threw myself into the now-cracked window; smashing it open and allowing me to fly away. I know I had a bleeding stomach now, but I decided to deal with the wound as soon as I get away from this place and take refuge in the jungle.

* * *

><p>I flew, and I flew, and I flew until I lost complete sight of the warehouse. As soon as that happened, I landed on a branch and scanned the area for a stream. I needed to wash up, especially my wound. I also looked around for herbs. I'm not good at Herbalism, but it would be better than nothing.<p>

I flew on, passing trees as blood slowly seeped through the hole in my body. It hurt so much, but at least the bleeding wasn't as bad as a while ago.

I suddenly started to feel very tired as my vision started getting blurry. Damn... I must've lost a lot of blood. I lowered my self to the ground and walked groggily while holding onto my wound. "Ugh... It hurts... Someone... please... Help me..." I said weakly as I slowly knelt down. I looked up into the sky. The sun was shining brightly on me, but the heat was burning my wound. So I crawled slowly away from the sunlight, with my vision getting darker and blurrier.

The next thing I knew, I collapsed and lay down on something wet and cool. "Water... water... unh..." Those were my last words until everything went black.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Finally got this chapter done! It took me a while to glue all the ideas and events into a whole. But here it is!<p>

So? How did it go? If you noticed something new about this chapter, it has sound effects being described. I decided to add them in case someone got lost in a certain event.

If anything's wrong, please tell me straight away so I can get it fixed up.

Feel free to review. And thank you very much for supporting me. Positive reviews, suggestions and improvement reviews always help me out. :D

More will come! Don't worry! In fact, I have the intention to make this story very detailed, and long in terms of word quantity and chapter length and quantity. ;D


	12. A Day of Surprises

Author's Note: Hey, guys! What's up? Sorry for the little delay on the update. I just got back from a little break at my friend's house. We just hung out, since we haven't seen each other for quite some time.

And I also got hooked up on "Dead Island". I recently got it and I never knew it was good. And sad too, with the drama and stuff...

Anyways… I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I just hope the ending cliffhanger I left you didn't bring your hopes too low. Don't worry though. Sylvia's not going to die. I have special plans for her.

Oh, and a special message to all of you readers: Thank you all, very much! Your enthusiastic and suggestive reviews really pushed me to the... well... Let's just say that I am REALLY happy to see them. I mean, when I'm writing and I think of those reviews, I wouldn't notice that I was smiling the whole time, and I would only notice it once I'm done with the chapter. He he... yup. That's me. I can't predict myself at times. A little eccentric, huh? :)

So... yeah! Thank you all! :D

And you might notice a little change in the way the narration goes. I kind of put a bit of realistic feeling. Correct me if I said it the wrong way, but the point is that I kind of made it look like I was there talking. My modes and methods change sometimes. I hope you guys are alright with that. But if you're not, just be honest and calm about it, and then tell me via personal message (PM). I'm very and truthfully sorry, but that's something that happens to me at times.

But, as for the POVs of the characters, they didn't change. Just MY narration. ;)

Aaaaanywho... Time to get on with this new chapter that's fresh from the eagle's mind. Yeah! :D

So here it is! I bring you all; Chapter 12: A Day of Surprises

Enjoy! ;D

* * *

><p>A Day of Surprises<p>

We last left Alex and Nigel to attend to their day's errands. Oh, they were both excited to get to their respective destinations, but Alex did not know what Rafael's little "angels" had in store for him. His greeting card from them; an ambush, a bit of beating and a gun shot wound on his foot. And take note that it was from his own gun. Ouch... he's gonna be feeling that in the next day. But, oh well. At least he's still in one piece.

While all that was happening, Sylvia had a dilemma of her own. If her job was no joke, then her problem was no joke either. She owned up to her elder brothers that she did not want to hunt down Alex anymore and that she wanted to quit her job as a hired assassin, for she has developed a new feeling for Alex. She just thinks of it as a friendship development... but is it really JUST that? Anyway, putting all of that aside, her current problem is that she got shot by her own brother as a result of deserting them and as well as going against them. Right now, she is far away from her brothers and is knocked out on a stream; bleeding continuously and is in pain. Will a kind soul help her before it's too late? Maybe... Maybe not... We'll know soon enough.

Alright... let's put the negative issues aside for now. Let's take a look at how Nigel's doing with Blu helping him out in befriending Nico and Pedro. Are things doing well for him?

* * *

><p>Section 1: Prank on the Cockatoo<p>

**Nigel's POV**

Well... this is not going well. These two party-loving pretty birds weren't really up for their meeting with me. I thought they were up for anything. If I recall correctly, Rafael told me that they would take up any kind silly dangerous dares. What about me? I am not considered as a subject of dangerous dares!... Well... To be honest, I am still capable of being lethal and sadistic. But I'm just keeping that on the "down-low". At least that's what the youthful pretty birds nowadays say.

"Nigel, it's cool that you want to know us better, but after what you did... Not cool, man. It ain't gonna happen." Said a shivering Nico. He's been shivering ever since he and his dark, crimson acquaintance saw me going here.

Pedro, on the other hand, went up to me while looking a little stern. Funny... It didn't really fit him. "Nico's right, dawg. We can't do this for ya."

"B-but... I came here... to show you. Can't we just... Can't we just converse about it? I mean, Blu is here with me. If I really was up to something unrighteous, then I would have gotten you two and Blu by now." I then turned my head around to see Blu just outside the tree's hollow. He was perched at the tip of the branch, daydreaming.

"I know, dude. But... to be honest man... We can't go around flyin' with a psychotic bird-murderer like you."

When I heard what Pedro just said, I sharply cocked my head to their direction, looking extremely shocked with my beak half-open. That was heavily offending. It felt like my heart sank all the way down to my feet. My breathing got slow and a bit painful. I slowly looked down as I did not want them to see my pained expression. My God, I could have sworn that I felt tears welling up in my eyes. His remark threw my unwanted memories straight to my face. I never wanted to remember those dark times, but... but...

**QUICK FLASHBACK...**

"(CLANG!-CLICK!) There! All locked up! You won't be able get away from your fate! HA HA!" I laughed at the young Military Macaw's saddened expression as he gazed at me with his tear-flooded eyes while he was locked behind bars. I took him away from his physically paralyzed parents, which I too was responsible for. Oh, so many innocent birds looked at me that way. Some were angered, but their struggles were to no avail.

The young-ling continued to look at me with his now gushing eyes. I could hear his soft whimpers which sounded ever so soothing. "W-why? Why did you d-do it? H-how could you do it? W-what did I do to d-deserve this? WHAT DID MY PARENTS DO TO DESERVE THIS?" His sudden outburst took me by surprise, but of course I wouldn't be taken aback by anything. Whether it be painful or sad... no.

I went closer to him and knelt down while grinning at him. "I did it... because I wanted to. And besides, if I did not take them out, I wouldn't be able to get to you. Just be lucky that YOU'RE not dead."

I continued to listen to his quick breathing and I could tell that he was slowly growling. Hmph! This bird will not dare to get stern with me. "If I get out of this cage, I will KILL YOU!"

Him? Kill me? Unbelievable... "Well, fat chance, little boy! Anyone who has tried to go against me never got the chance! Now shut up, and wait for the three humans! You'll be in Germany pretty soon."

And the annoying little brat DID shut up. I stood up and watched him back against the other side of the cage and take a seat. His crying got weaker, but his anger was unfortunately the emotion that replaced his oh-so-entertaining sadness. "I hate you. I hope you die, you stupid, dumb bird."

What he said really ticked me off. No one dares to insult me with such profanity! "Watch your beak, lad." I said with murderous intentions soaking my voice.

"No, I won't! I really hope someone finds you and kills you!"

"I'm warning you, you little brat! Shut up!"

"Why? Are you too weak to handle tiny insults?"

"You're lucky I don't have the intentions of killing you right now." I said as I leaned closer to him. I was really getting irked by this putrid brat of a macaw. He's too witty and arrogant. Well, arrogance can kill you. To be honest, if he forces me to my limit, I'm really going to end him. I don't care what Marcel has to say if he witnesses my predicted doing.

"Why not? I thought you liked seeing others scream and bleed. I guess the studio you used to work for made you soft."

I looked at him with a death-ridden glare. How did he know about my past? He has no business in learning anything about it! "How did you know I used to work for that damned studio?"

My glare caught his attention pretty well. I forced him to explain how he knew... and then he told me.

The whole explanation lasted for a good 10 minutes. It turned out that his father was one of the many pretty birds that mocked me. He told his story to his mate and to this here child. In some occasions, they would laugh about it and add further insults. I was fuming as he told me his tale. "Oh... I see."

And then my murderous instincts got me. Once I understood his story, I swiftly opened the cage, grabbed him with my talons and, with all of my strength, I threw him straight into a big stack of small cages. His impact caused the cages on top to fall on to him.

At first I was a little held back at what I had just committed. But when I went over to him, I felt a smile creep up on my face. An evil smile, that is. "That, young one, is what happens to pretty birds who insult me."

The young Military Macaw was dead. The force that was... well, forced into him was too much for his body to handle. His eyes were closed. There was a hint of blood dripping from his beak and nostrils.

Yes... Birds all around me should and will cower in fear. This is what may happen if I am to be messed with.

**QUICK FLASHBACK END...**

I remembered everything... The poor, little child I murdered... How I enjoyed seeing his lifeless body... Me paralyzing his parents... And then this blasted Cardinal made me remember! Soon enough, I let my tears go, and I burst out in anger. "Do you have any idea on what you just did to me? HUH?"

My sudden outburst definitely scared Nico and Pedro. It was their fault! They led me to my anger! If they think that I'm still a so-called psycho, then they'll really see my psycho self! "You still think I'm a murderer? Fine then! If that's how you two putrid numskulls think of me, then I'll MURDER THE BOTH OF YOU!"

I abruptly went over to the two party birds who were shivering at the moment. I didn't hesitate to grab the both of them by their heads and planted them against the hollow's cold wall. "Woah, woah! Easy there, Nigel! We were- We were just playin'!" Nico yelled.

Pedro also chimed in, with his shivering hip-hop voice accompanying his reply. "Yeah, bro! Chillax!"

"How in Heaven's name can I calm down if you two just- Wait... Did you just call me "bro"?" My anger suddenly went away when the word "bro" registered in my head. I can't believe it! They called me "bro"! And they also said that they were just fooling around! Yes! I am officially successful! Huh, even my angered look disappeared and turned into a smile!

"Yeah, man. You know... Bro? As in, brother. Or pal... Or buddy... Whatever you wanna call it- Er... What's with that relieving and somewhat creepy smile, Nigel?"

I was about to tell him that I was just happy for them when Blu suddenly jumped into the hollow... literally. "Is everything alright, guys? Is anyone hurt?" He was looking around while babbling with worry. After a few seconds, he focused his vision to me and the two party birds. "Um... Why are you holding them against the wall?"

"Wha- What? Oh, yeah, right!" And with that, I gently placed Nico and Pedro down. Funny thing, though. They just reminded me of my unwanted past, which led me to my sudden outburst. And all it took to calm me down was a word called "bro". "Uh, it's not what you think, Blu."

Blu's expression quickly morphed into anger before I could even explain myself. Great... I guess now he thinks that I was faking my new innocence. Perfect... Just perfect... "So you were just lying, huh? How could you, Nigel? Alex gave you a second chance and forced us to do the same. In a few days time, we finally developed the trust for you, and you were just MAKING IT UP? WHY?"

I was about to explain the situation, but then my two "bros" went in and took over for me. Augh, God, I have got to get used to that word. "Yo, Blu! Chill, man! If there's anyone in this hollow to get stern with, it's us."

Blu crossed his wings as he tapped his talons on the floor. "Really, Nico? Care to explain why you two are to be blamed?"

Nico then stepped up to Blu, went to his side and planted his wing on his shoulder. "We played a prank on him, and... he suddenly exploded. I guess he's not good with jokes, eh Nigel?"

I chuckled a bit. Even though he and his crimson friend reminded me of my unwanted past, I wouldn't mind so long as they finally accepted me. "I exploded because you reminded me of my dark past. But since you two were just fooling around and that you finally and actually accepted me, I'm willing to take that unwanted reminder off my wings without any further hassles." And then I laughed. Now that they mentioned that it was a prank, I have to say, I'm impressed. They got me good there. "A-Hahahahahaha! Hahaha, haha, ha- oh..."

Wow. And I thought that this day would be a disaster...

* * *

><p>Section 2: The "*Eagle-litarian Moment"<p>

**3:00 pm...**

The time was now 3:00 in the afternoon. The gang had done their errands for the day. Nigel finally got Nico and Pedro to give him a second chance, and while all of that was happening, Alex got to fully know Rafael's family as well as Blu and Jewel's kids. And the only difficulties he faced when trying to know them was a slightly malevolent "It's nice to meet you!" kind of greeting by Rafael and Eva's kids. Sadly though, he has to go through that kind of treatment if he ever wants to go and visit Rafael and Eva. Poor eagle...

**At Alex and Nigel's Hollow... With Blu and Jewel...**

**Blu's POV**

"I'm sorry for snapping at you a while ago, Nigel."

"It's no problem, Blu."

We were at their hollow. I accompanied Nigel back here while Jewel accompanied Alex. The kids were going to the stream to take a bath. Their errands for the day turned out pretty well, even with Alex's right foot bandaged and still burning with pain as well as Nigel still chuckling about Nico and Pedro's prank.

"Great. Now I'm scared to pull a pun on him! Ow..." Said Alex who was massaging his inflamed foot.

"It might sound crazy, but those two party-loving pretty birds really got me in their joke! HA HA!" Wow... At least he put his past aside. Back there, I thought Nigel was lying about his desire to change. Turned out that he was just ticked off by Nico and Pedro, since they called him a psychotic bird-murderer, which was intended to be their surprise joke. Well, I must say that calling him that wasn't the brightest thing to do. But in the end, it all worked out pretty well.

I walked towards Nigel and shook his wing. "Congratulations, Nigel. Your progress is remarkable." I said with a smile. He deserved the honorable mention.

"Aww... Thank you, Blu. But none of this would've happened if Alex didn't persuade you and the others to give me a second chance. Even if he didn't really know about me then..."

Alex looked at Nigel with a smile. "It's no problem, Nigel. Everyone deserves a second chance, and it's the rule in my actions. Why? 'Cause that's me! Ha ha!"

I felt really happy that everything was turning out to be alright. But then I noticed Nigel's sudden grin; a grin which meant mischief. That's not good... "Really, Alex? If that's really you, then would you give a certain female eagle a second chance?"

A certain female eagle? Involving Alex as well? Wow... what did I miss? I was about to ask Jewel if she knew what he was talking about, but when I looked at her, she was also grinning mischievously. Oh no... did these two did something that I did not know of? "Oh yeah, Alex. Nigel's right. Would you give... Oh, what's her name... SYLVIA, a second chance?"

When I looked at Alex, his red eyes widened and his cheeks turned red. It was quite visible, since his facial feathers are white. His whole head is practically white. "Nigel! I thought I told you not to- Oops..."

"A-ha! So you DO have a feeling for her! I knew it!" Said Jewel and Nigel in unison.

I was getting perplexed. I needed to know what they were talking about. Feeling desperate for an answer, I went in between all of them and made sure that they all got their eyes on me. "Alright, everybody! What's this all about? I know it's about Alex having a supposed crush on a female, but when did that all happen?"

Alex then stood up and went over to me, still red on the face. "It's nothing, Blu. Nothing important or interesting."

"He's lying, Blu. I'm sure you could tell."

I looked at Alex straight in the face and he just smiled back with a hint of nervousness. Yeah, Jewel was right. He is certainly lying. I crossed my wings, half-closed my eyes and formed a smile. "You have got some explaining to do. I want you to tell me what happened and how the events happened."

Looking defeated as we surrounded him, he drooped his shoulders and sighed. "Oh, alright. Nigel and Jewel obviously know about this, but you best pay attention because I don't want to repeat the story over again."

**Meanwhile...**

**Brandon's POV**

So that's how Alex got to know how to do a lot of things. He put himself in his human friend's shoes his whole life. "I have got to know more about anthroism."

"It's called anthropomorphism, Brandon." Tina said. Even if she's just like Mom, she tends to be a nerd like Dad, only somewhat a little annoying.

"Whatever, sis."

We were on our way to the stream to take a bath. Mom and Dad forced us to take a bath since we didn't go this morning. I don't know what's so smelly about us. I mean, we don't smell like anything. We're not even dirty. Oh well. I guess a little water won't hurt.

It was pretty silent while we were flying across the jungle. I was also kind of bored. I looked at Tina who was right beside me, and then Miguel who was right behind me. I needed to get their attention and try to make a laugh out of something. 'It's too quiet and I'm bored. There's gotta be something I or at least all three of us could laugh to.' I thought in my head.

I looked below me and I saw a whole lot of bushes. Then it got me thinking, what if I pretended to suddenly lose the ability to fly? I could simply fall on the bushes. I mean, Tina and Miguel laugh at me when I get hurt... sometimes. Maybe this will make the laughs better.

At the right moment, I pretended that my left wing cramped and prepared to play the rest of the act. "Agh! My left wing's cramping up!" I yelled with a disguised bellow of pain as best as I could, in order to convince my two quiet siblings. I also planted my right wing on my left wing and that was when the fun started. I fell towards the thick bushes below me. "Brandon!" I heard my brother and sister yell in unison as I saw them trying to catch up to me before I could land. 'He he... That got their attention.'

As I fell, I felt the relaxing wind swallow me. It felt really good. In fact, I even had the time to savor the fall by closing my eyes. If only I could fall forever...

...

...

...

What the? I stopped! How the heck could my fall stop? I opened my eyes, looked around me and I noticed that everything looked lopsided, which is not supposed to happen. Just because the world is round doesn't mean that the south part of the globe would be angled differently... Unless...

"Brandon! You alright? Let us set you down first then we'll check on your cramped wing." I should have known. Tina was able to catch me. Great, now how am I supposed to get a few laughs going around?

Should I tell them that I was faking? Or should I play on? I don't really know which to choose from.

As my sister set me down, she made sure that I was lying perfectly flat on the dirty ground. Great, now I'm dirty. Gives me all the more reason to take a bath. Anyway, she then carefully caressed my wing, trying to find out where the supposed pain is located. "Does it hurt here? Or does it hurt here?"

I was thinking about playing along, but then I thought something else. If Tina and Miguel sometimes laugh at my misery and that they're tending to me right now, then I guess I can use this time to tell them that they DO care for me! Ha! That's one point for me! "I was just faking, sis! My wing didn't have cramps! I only did that so I could get a few laughs running. Ha ha!"

"Oh, God... Brandon! Your idiotic action nearly made me scream my lungs out! You could have killed yourself!"

"Says one of those who laugh at me when I get hurt!"

"Oh yeah? Well- If... Argh, fine. Point taken. Hey, Miguel! You gotta hear our older bro's point!"

No answer. I looked at Tina and she stood up, looking worried. I was worried too. I didn't want my little brother to get lost. Even a bird that was born in this jungle could get lost. If only I had an automatic Google Maps application in my head... "Miguel?"

* * *

><p><strong>Miguel's POV<strong>

As soon as Tina caught my brother from falling, I went ahead to find the stream. I really wanted to take a nice bath soon. I mean, it's really hot here in Rio. I hope one day, I get to come with Dad and Linda when they're going to visit their old home in Minnesota. I always wanted to know what it's like there. I also want to go for the snow. Dad told me once that he and his friends always had snowball fights. That sounds like fun. Heh, speaking of snow, I remembered the time when I watched that Norwegian horror-comedy film called "*Dead Snow". My older brother told me that if I go with Dad to Minnesota, zombies from WWII will pop up from the ground and tear me to pieces. I remembered that time like it was just yesterday...

**QUICK FLASHBACK...**

"Woah, did you see that guy get torn apart? His arms, legs and head! I never knew zombies could be that strong!" I yelled in surprise.

I was sitting on the couch with Dad, Brandon, Tulio, Linda and Uncle Rafael. We were munching on popcorn while watching the film. A movie's nothing without popcorn, you know?

We were watching Dead Snow. It was a horror-comedy film from Norway. It had English subtitles so at least we could all understand. If anyone was to wonder why Linda was the only female watching this with us is because she knows it's not so scary. Bloody it was, yes. Mom and Tina weren't with because they thought the film would scare their innards out. Well, clearly, they're missing out. However, I do understand why Aunt Eva, Ryan and Emilia couldn't come. They had to settle some personal business.

Anyway, nobody in the room was scared. After each funny scene, we would laugh out loud. If there was a gory scene, we would go like "Oooooh!" or "Oh, my!". Because really, being torn apart is not pretty.

The film ended after about another 30 minutes. We all got up from the couch with smiles on our faces. That movie was funnier than it was scary. Too bad every single survivor died. The last guy had some bad luck and didn't give the zombie leader a piece of the treasure that they were after. I mean, he found out that it was the treasure they looted years ago that would stop them from attacking the survivors, but when he got to his car, a coin fell from his pocket. That coin was a part of the treasure and the zombies wanted every piece of it. I pity the dude...

I was about to make my way to the aviary to visit a few friends, but Brandon passed me by and started a conversation. A silly one, that is. "Hey, Miguel. Do you still want to go to Minnesota with Dad if he ever plans on going?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

He then crossed his wings and smiled slyly. "Because... I'm just worried that zombies are gonna come out and eat you. I mean, there's snow there."

What he said has got to be the most hilarious thing I've ever heard. I laughed out loud as I planted my wing on top of my eyes. "Ha ha ha ha! Oh, bro... First of all, there are no such things as zombies. Second, the event setting of the film was in Norway. The place I plan to go to is in the United States. Sure, there's snow there too in Minnesota. But the main point is that zombies do not exist!" As silly as it may sound, I'm enjoying this.

"Are you trying to frighten me? Because if you are, it ain't working."

At least my brother's humble enough to accept failures. He just shrugged his shoulders and prepared to walk away. "It certainly isn't... Anyway, you were going somewhere?"

"Just to the aviary. I want to meet some friends."

"Alright then. Catch ya later, bro!"

**QUICK FLASHBACK END...**

Yeah... that's how it went. But I'm serious about the film though. It's not really scary. It's gory, yes. But there are also funny scenes.

(WET STEPS)

Oh? I found the stream already? Sweet! Now I can cool myself up with a nice bath! My thinking about the fun past probably let me lose track of how long I was walking. Better walking than flying because if I still thought of the fun past while flying, I would have crashed into a tree.

I was about to call my siblings that I found the stream, but before I looked away, I notice something about the water. It looked like it had wriggling strings that were colored red. "What the heck?"

I was determined to find out what those red strings were by tasting the water. So, I bent over to get closer to the stream, cupped my wings (thanks to Uncle Alex for teaching us how to maneuver like humans), dipped them in the water and I planted my beak on to my wings so I could sip the water. It only took me about 3 seconds to find out that the red strings on the water tasted like iron. "Ack! What the! It tastes like blood!" I observed the water again just to make sure, and sure enough, it really IS blood. "Oh my God... Is someone hurt? Or worse... Is there a dead body that got into contact with the water?"

The bloodstream left a trail, and it seemed that the blood came from the upstream area. I thought about investigating, but my siblings might worry. Then again, I for sure, am worried that someone really is hurt up there. Whoever's hurt out there needs to be tended to. So I followed the trail by going upstream.

I walked along the blood-stained water, hoping that whoever's hurt out there isn't dead.

Okay... something seems to be odd. As I traverse further, the blood gets thicker. It can only mean one thing: I am getting closer to whoever's bleeding. And with that, I started running.

"Gotta get a move on, gotta get a move on, gotta get a move on, gotta get a... Wait, was it really necessary for me to say that?" I can be sometimes eccentric. Like when I jog in place, I say "Jog in place, jog in place, jog in place...". I guess I acquired it from Dad, since he's a bit eccentric.

Anyway, I kept on running upstream, and just when the blood trail stopped, I happened to find a brown being lying on the water. The blood came from it. I went closer and carefully observed her, and here are my results: The body is of a female White-tailed Eagle. What kind of injuries did she suffer from?

Feeling determined to find out, I held on to her feet, dragged her to the stream banks and rested her back on a nearby tree. I know it seems rude, but hey... I'm still a kid. This is an eagle. An adult eagle, to be precise.

Putting the unnecessary thoughts behind, I placed my wing on her shoulder and tried to shake her awake. While doing so, I also noticed the wound on her stomach. "Oh, God..." I said silently.

"Hey. Hey, lady! Excuse me!"

I kept doing the same thing but to no avail. Crap... I think she's dead. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me, when suddenly... "Uhn... H-help... m-me. P-please..."

I swiftly turned my head around to her. Did she just say something? Great! That means she's still alive! With a new light of hope, I once again tried to fully awaken her. "Hey, miss! You alright?"

I awaited her reply, but all she did was slowly lift her head and weakly looked at me. Oh... Poor eagle... I wanted to help her, but I don't know how to patch a wound like the one on her stomach. Maybe... Just maybe... Wait. That's it! Maybe Uncle Alex and Uncle Nigel could help her! Yes! That idea's brilliant!

"Don't worry, miss. You'll be alright. I'm going to get you some help." I said as I looked at her with a smile. When she saw me smile, she seemed to have smiled back. "Th-thank y-you, y-young one."

"As of now, get some rest. I'll go get my brother and sister so they can help me get you out of here. Help's on the way!"

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the hollow...<strong>

**Alex's POV**

"So that's how it all went. I hope you got all of that." Jeez. I hope I never get to tell this story again. Even if it all happened in a single early morning, it feels so tiring to explain. Not to mention that I have to mention her name, which makes me feel queasy. I know, it sounds like it's kind of an exaggeration. But I couldn't help it. Sylvia's tough and beautiful. I know a few people who adore tough girls... Not that I'm picky when it comes to girls, but... I'm sure the point is given.

Anyway, Blu seemed to have understood the whole story, but he still had that annoying grin on his face. In fact, everyone did! "Blu, I told you everything! Now do me a favor and remove that grin off your face!"

"Ha ha! No-can-do, Alex! We hope to see this "Sylvia" of yours."

I was about to react more, until we heard voices coming from outside the hollow. The voices were of children. We poked our heads out of the hollow, only to find Blu and Jewel's kids. They seemed to be carrying something. "Mom! Dad! Uncle Nigel! Uncle Alex!" They yelled as they went closer to the hollow's entrance.

Blu and Jewel went out first to see what they had. And from their sudden gasps, I could tell they did something wrong. "Kids! Did you hurt this eagle?"

An injured eagle? Them doing so? How in the... "No! Miguel said he found her on the upper areas of the stream! She's hurt badly and we thought that we could bring her to Uncle Nigel and Uncle Alex!" Tina said. I guess they didn't hurt her anyway.

Well, since I could do a bit of Herbalism, which is the same kind of treatment I gave to Nigel when he was hurt by Kipo and his gang, I guess I could help out. After all, I would never leave a life in danger. And with what Tina said, us adults let the kids through and let her lie down on the nest.

Yup. It was an eagle. A White-tailed Eagle, that is. However, for some reason, I kept looking at her. She looks familiar... In an uncanny way. While I observed her, Blu, Jewel and Nigel were like "Oh, my!" and "The poor soul...".

"Can you help her, Uncle Alex? By looking at the way you're looking at her, you probably know her." Brandon's statement made me snap back into reality. How could he say that I know this eagle? Sure, she looks familiar and all, but how can I even be sure that this is the same eagle that I know?

"I'm not sure if I know her or not, but of course. I will help her. Just let me get that bowl of left-over herbal medicine that's still good and the bandage, and I will get started."

**20 minutes later...**

"There! All done! That bandage wrapped around her body should be able to apply pressure on the wound." Thankfully, I brought a roll with me. It looks small, but it's actually long. It was able to fit in one of my utility belt pockets.

"What do you think caused the wound?"

I looked at everyone with a concerned expression and said, "Well... Whatever caused it protruded her body. From the front and then exiting from the back. A possible answer to that is that she probably got shot."

Everyone gasped at the theoretical results. I guess they never saw anyone get shot before, other than me... thanks to those Toucan kids... "If she got shot, then half of her body should be gone! I mean, do you know how big the bullets are in the guns that humans use?" Exclaimed Jewel, who was standing next to the injured eagle. Yes, it's true that this eagle should be cut in half if humans shot her, but remembering the hole's size, it couldn't have been a human's fault.

"That's true, Jewel. But try to remember the size of the hole. Sure, she should have been cut in half if a human shot her, but the hole is too small."

They all looked at me in a perplexed fashion. What? Do they not see the probable answer?

"Your point being?" Said Nigel.

I crossed my wings and replied with a voice that carried seriousness. "It's probable that someone else like me was responsible for her injury."

And with that, their eyes widened in realization and a bit of fear. Well, I can understand that because an anthropomorphic antagonist would be a really big pain in our avian asses. But then again, it's just a theory. They can't worry about the issue just yet. "It's just a theory. I'm still not completely sure about this, but what we can do for now is to wait for her to wake up. Maybe she can tell us what happened."

Everyone agreed with the idea. Well, I guess we have put ourselves in the line... of mystery.

"Uuunnh..."

We all gasped in surprise when we heard that moan. It came from the injured eagle! But something else came to my mind... It was her voice! I know that voice! It's like I heard that voice not too long ago! "She... She's waking up. Everyone, be quiet." Brandon said in excitement as he scurried over to his parents who were by the hollow's exit. Tina and Miguel did the same. Nigel went over to the opposite side of me. As for me, I was standing next to the injured female's head so that my face would be facing her's as I stood. We all stood still in silence, waiting for her to fully awaken.

"Uuunh..." She moaned again as she was trying to open her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Sylvia's POV<strong>

Augh, meu Deus! This pain is so intolerable! So painful that I'm having a hard time opening my damn eyes! It's making me moan in pain! And where are those voices coming from? They are all unfamiliar, except for a couple of voices. I know that one of the voices belonged to a kid. A little boy. He apparently found me on the stream, if I recall correctly. But the other one... it sounded like I knew this voice. But I just can't lay a feather on it. I guess the only way to find out is to force my eyes open.

*0_0

When I opened them, I happened to find a very, very, VERY familiar eagle standing next to my head. He was looking at me with shock as soon as I opened my eyes. Everyone who was in this hollow was staring at me, as a matter of fact. "Sylvia?" Said this familiar looker... Alex...

I was too tired to react completely, even if I too, was just as shocked as him.

My only reply to him was this: "Oh, shit..."

* * *

><p>*The Eagle-litarian Moment: That was meant to be a pun. It's because Alex and Sylvia were going to see each other again in surprise. The word is based on the term "Egalitarian". :D<p>

*Dead Snow: A Norwegian Horror-Comedy Zombie Film directed by Tommy Wirkola and distributed by Euforia Film.

*0_0: I figured that putting Sylvia's eye action would make it a bit humorous.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There will be more! Have no worries! :D

As usual, feel free to review! Give me the heads-up if something needs tweaking, like errors and such.

Oh, yeah. There's an additional reason to why I haven't updated for a long time. I have been going through a writer's block. With that in my head as I was writing, I felt like it was degrading. My apologies... :(

So... yup! That's it for now! More will come! :D


	13. The Ultimate Plan

Author's Note: Hello again! I'm glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter. Well, I enjoyed writing it. Ha ha! :D

In this chapter, I'm going to put things into the antagonist's point of view. Blu, Alex, Nigel and the others had their chance to speak.

Anyway, this is just a short chapter regarding a plan. The chapter after this will be a little short, as it will only cover the conversation between Sylvia and the others. That whole chapter will be in her point of view.

Here it is! Chapter 13: The Ultimate Plan

* * *

><p>The Ultimate Plan<p>

Thanks to Blu and Jewel's children, Sylvia was saved from her nearing demise. Right now, she is in Nigel and Alex's hollow for recuperation.

Oh, how the two eagles were surprised to see each other. None of them were expecting another close encounter. But what will Sylvia do? Her intentions and feelings may have changed, but what about Alex? Will he forget what she did to him on their first encounter and give her a second chance? Will all the answers be unearthed?

Speaking of unearthing answers, Sylvia's brothers are also having trouble unearthing some answers. They mostly concern Sylvia's status and whereabouts. Gregorio thinks that they should just leave Sylvia be and continue their mission, but Diego thinks otherwise. And it looks like things are going to be a little rough between the two brothers...

* * *

><p><strong>At the abandoned warehouse... while Sylvia was getting patched up...<strong>

**Diego's** **POV**

"C'mon, Diego! Sylvia's probably dead by now! You shot her when the sun was still spitting yellow rays of light! It's 6:00 pm! She could be deflated, what with all the blood gushing out of her!" Gregorio... how clueless and idiotic can he get? First, my sister betrays me, then second, I have to take hearing my brother being all moronic.

I was standing on the spot where Sylvia gave me a punch to the face. Just thinking about her makes me... UGH! It makes me want to torture her myself! Yes, she could have died out there since she was bleeding. But knowing her... "Gregorio? Are you still with me?" I said while my back was against him.

"Y-yeah. Why?"

I slowly turned to face him and when my sight came into contact with his, he flinched a bit. It didn't take him anything to fully realize what I was feeling right now. "L-look, Diego... Just c-calm down. You d-don't have to... to..."

While he stuttered, I inched closer to him with my ominous glare still glued to my face. "You're not with me... ARE YOU?"

Due to my sudden outburst, he shut his beak and backed up against the wall, with me suddenly rushing towards him with my wings raised, for they were aiming at his shoulders. (THUD!) I pressed him harder against the wall as he was silently whimpering in fear. I was growling in extreme anger. "DON'T YOU GET IT, IDIOT? HUH? DO YOU?"

"AGH! I-I-I-I... I d-don't g-get it! Please, brother! C-calm down!" Heh, he sure was getting scared. But just because I thought that this was a funny scene doesn't mean that I wasn't done being angry at him for being clueless... But I did calm down a bit. I must say, I'm pretty scary when I lose my cool.

"Look, Sylvia's a survivalist and is extremely good in acting. She could have patched herself up once she got deep into the jungle. But if that did not happen, then she probably used her charisma to get some other guy to help her. Besides, you know how that American eagle wooed her when he saw her."

Gregorio seemed to understand what I said. That's good, because I don't want anymore of his "clueless-ness". "I... I guess you have a point there."

And with that, I let go of him. He slowly walked away from the wall and towards his MP5, which was lying on the floor not far from the old scaffolding he perched on when he tried to shoot down Sylvia. Thank God for anthropomorphism. I stayed in my spot as I watched him pick his gun up and checked it. "So... what's the plan? And if we do have a plan, when do we launch it?"

I smiled as he asked that. I made my plan not so long ago, when I was putting my anger out on him. And I am certainly eager to put it in motion. "You know that Toco Toucan that everyone seems to know about?"

"Yeah. Why? You wanna kill him too?"

"Even better."

I went over to him so I could tell him my plan without having to slightly yell my voice out, because... really. The scaffolding he went to was pretty far, considering the size of this abandoned warehouse. It didn't really have anything in it.

"I could ambush him when he's all on his own and beat him up until he's knocked out. Once that's done, I'll leave a few feathers behind."

I then put out my talons and showed him some feathers. Some are brown, and some are white. "These feathers belong to Alex. When we had that struggle with him, I managed to pull out a few feathers from his chest and his neck before he got away. I plan to plant these next to the toucan's body."

Gregorio was listening with pure interest. He seems to be getting the plan. "His friends should find his body and the feathers of Alex. These feathers are the keys for this plan to work in order. You see where I'm getting at?"

And with that, he formed an evil smile. Ha ha! Just how I like it! "Oooooh, I see. Those feathers will function as proof to the most DELICIOUS action of all!"

"Exactly! We're going to make his friends believe that Alex was the one responsible for beating that big-nose, Rafael! And once he's been isolated, we can finish him off ourselves!"

After announcing the plan, me and Gregorio shared an evil, yet brotherly laugh. Yes... Out of all the plans I have come up with, this is the best one yet!

I continued laughing, but then I noticed that Gregorio stopped laughing. "Why'd you stop? Out of breath already?"

"I just remembered Sylvia. What are we going to do about her if we bump into her?"

I placed my wing on his shoulder once he finished asking and said, "That, you can deal with, brother. However, make sure you bring her to me alive. I want to end her myself. As for the rest, leave it all to me. The plan goes into motion tomorrow night."

Once I clarified everything, he nodded and flew up towards the metal horizontal beams that helped support the warehouse's balance. "I'm going to turn in early, Diego. I'm pretty bushed."

I smiled as he said that. I was tired too, but I didn't feel like sleeping yet. So I just jumped up to a greenish box that was right beside me and sat there. "Alright. Get some rest. Tomorrow night's gonna be rough."

As soon as he disappeared into the upper darkness of the warehouse, I looked at the feathers I ripped off of Alex. His brown feathers reminded me of Sylvia's feathers. The white feathers automatically registered Alex in my head. The thought of the both of them really ticked me off. I was so angry at the both of them that I clenched tightly on the brown and white feathers; thinking that I was crushing the both of them. Those two are really in for a big surprise. "When I find the both you... I will personally see to it that you both die a very painful death. The both of you will see that I am clearly not one to be messed with!"

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><p>Author's Note: Yeah, this is just a short one. More will come! :D<p>

I hope this made the suspense and excitement grow inside of you. ;)

Feel free to review, as usual. I'll be back with more. :)


	14. Sylvia's Story

Author's Note: Okay! You've heard the plan of the bad guys! Now let's hear from their sister!

Like I said before, this chapter will be in Sylvia's POV.

Oh, and if any of you are going to wonder if Alex and Sylvia will have some alone time, let me say that you will find out as you read. :)

Alright, that's enough blabbering from me. So now, I give you... Chapter 14: Sylvia's Story.

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><p>Sylvia's Story<p>

It seems that Diego and Gregorio have a master plan that is sure to get them their prize. As simple as it may sound, it can still do a lot of damage, mostly to the friendship bonds that Alex has developed with Blu and the others. Will he be able to outsmart their plan? Or will he be ostracized by his own friends? They even added Sylvia, their own sister, to their "Kill List". How about her? If they were to get into a physical fight, Sylvia is clearly not in the right condition to fight back.

Speaking of Sylvia, she is about to tell everyone what had happened to her and her brothers before they officially became mortal enemies. But first she has to go through one "little" thing...

* * *

><p><strong>Sylvia's POV<strong>

My mind and my heart were racing like they were run by a powerful car's engine. I didn't expect to find Alex staring directly at me. He didn't look angry or anything, but knowing what I did to him on our first encounter, he's bound to exact his revenge on me. Sure, he wooed me, but I hid my true feelings and nearly clawed a patch off of him. Who in the world would not get angry at that? My point is that nice guys are known to be the scariest when angered. And Alex looks like he's capable of doing so. Even with the guilt I'm feeling right now, I still don't want to get hurt. "N-no! Please! I-I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" I whimpered as I balled up on the nest.

I heard everyone gasp in surprise when I reacted. Alex, especially. "N-no, no, no, no, no! It's alright! I'm not going to hurt you!" He said frantically as he quickly went to my right side. He then knelt down and placed one of wings on my chest. With that, my panicked breathing slowed to calm breathing, but my eyes were still widened with some fear... not to mention that my eyes were locked onto his. "It's alright. Don't worry." He soothed with a smile.

That smile... For some reason... it released sparks in my heart and calmed me down. The last people to ever have smiled at me like that were my parents. Unfortunately, they were killed. I don't know who or what did it, but I always wanted and needed to find out. Eh... I can think about that later.

Anyway, after he flashed his smile, I calmed down and lowered my eyelids a bit. My breathing slowed down too. "There... That's it. Just relax, alright? There's no need to be frightened."

Deep in my heart, I felt all my worries drift away. My worries about my brothers' evil intentions, my parents' death mystery, everything. Clearly, there was something about Alex and his personality. When he told me not to be frightened, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I mean, he's treating me nicely even after the crap I did to him. I felt so touched that my emotions and feelings took over me.

The next thing I knew, I threw my wings around him and pulled him in for a warm hug. I could tell that he's shocked and that he doesn't know what to do. My head rested on his chest and I could feel his heart beating fast. "I'm sorry... I really am."

I have been an assassin for a very long time... a few years after my parents' mysterious death. So, technically, these feelings I'm having right now are quite new. Sure, call me heartless when I was younger. I was like a really malevolent teenager before anyway. "There, there. It's alright." He soothed again. And what he did next made my heart jump.

He hugged me back.

* * *

><p><strong>Deep in Alex's thoughts...<strong>

"Oh, God! I cannot believe I'm doing this! I feel like my heart's beating faster than Metallica and *Elena Siegman's drum rolls combined!"

**Deep in Sylvia's thoughts...**

"Didn't see that one coming... I'm not even sure if we're meant for each other. Perhaps he meant this as a friendly hug?"

* * *

><p>As soon as we released each other, I looked straight into his eyes for a while. They were marked with friendly intentions. I guess he didn't hate me for what I did to him. W-wow... such a kind eagle... "You... Y-you don't hate me? Even after what I did to you?"<p>

"No, I don't. I'm just glad you're okay." He said with a smile, which made me smile.

"(SNIFF) Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He then groomed my head gently like a puppy's owner. "You'll be fine. I and my friends here..." He said as he waved his wing towards the other birds to my left. "... are here for you."

I looked at his company and I specifically caught sight of a Sulfur-crested Cockatoo and a family of Blue Macaws. Spix's Macaws, maybe? "Oh! H-hello." I said as I wiped my last tear from my left eye and quickly re-positioned myself until I was resting on my behind. In short, I sat down.

The macaws that seemed like children smiled and said "Hi" in a shy manner as they waved dimly. But the parents of the children and the cockatoo didn't hesitate to greet me. The first of those three to greet me was the blue male. "Hi, Sylvia! I'm Blu. And right next to me is my mate, Jewel, and our children. The twins are Brandon and Tina, while the youngest is Miguel."

"How do you do?" Said Jewel.

"I'm fine... at least."

What a nice set of names they had. And their children are so gorgeous. The mate of the male is astoundingly beautiful too. "Oh, one more thing... Our children brought you over here."

His remark surprised me that I looked at their three angels with a somewhat wide-eyed expression. "Really now? Well, how did you little angels find me? I remembered passing out on a stream."

"You did! I was the one who found you!" The littlest of the three squeaked. "Me and my siblings were supposed to take a bath on the stream, but then I noticed that there was blood flowing with the water. I got worried so I checked it out by following the blood which came from the upstream areas."

What a smart and curious boy! Besides the others, I definitely owe him my life! I, as well as the others, continued listening to his tale. "So I kept following the trail, and then I noticed that the blood kept getting thicker as I traversed. I figured that I was getting close to whatever was bleeding. Feeling worried, I started running until I found you; lying unconscious on the stream."

"And then you called your brother and sister to help you get me here..." I asked for reassurance.

"Yep!" The three children squeaked in unison.

I couldn't help but form a smile after hearing Miguel's little rescue tale. I really do owe him. "Thank you very much. I owe you one, you smart and adventurous little one." I cooed as I playfully squeezed his right cheek. My action resulted to him taking the compliment and he began to blush and smile dreamily. He even put his wings behind him and put one of his legs behind the other. "Aww gosh... Well, it was nothing. I just knew that it was the right thing to do."

I eyed his older brother, who had his beak wide open. That sight made the rest of the adults giggle. "Miguel, you're always like that when a girl does that to you!"

"I can't help it, bother! I have to admit, Miss Sylvia's pretty... I don't know why anyone would hurt someone as beautiful and gentle as Miss Sylvia."

Gentle... Me? Gentle? That trait was not of me, considering what I did in the past. Oh, yeah. Right. They don't know yet...

Due to the sudden sadness that entered me, I lowered my head and kept my feet in my sight. I let my mind float in a hollow world of sorrow and regret. My parents' deaths, me turning against the good of the world, me turning against myself, my brothers turning against me... And to think I went through that crap for nearly my whole life. My mind was six feet under the pits of sorrow and regret. But even if my mind was submerged in my depressing thoughts, I could still hear the two boys. And it sounded like they were arguing.

"Oh, so how about Mom then, huh Miguel?"

"Of course, Mom is pretty, Brandon! But I don't want to offend our visitor here, so let me just say that the beauties Mom and Miss Sylvia possess are equal without doubt!"

"... Good point."

Huh... He needn't say that. But their mother is quite beautiful though. Very beautiful, indeed.

Right when I was about to sink back into my depressing thoughts, a wing draped on my left shoulder. I looked to that direction and saw the white cockatoo. "Hey, Sylvia. Are you alright? Is the wound making you feel uncomfortable?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Thanks for asking though." I said with a smile. Oh, and what I just said was a lie. But I did it because I didn't want to worry them.

"Oh, that's pleasing then. I'm Nigel, by the way." He said as he pulled out his wing for me to shake. Of course I didn't want to be rude. So I took the greeting. And... Wow. I actually got to meet THE Nigel of "Fly Hard".

"Nigel, huh? Well, I never thought I would personally meet the star of Fly Hard." I said as I shook his wing. I thought he'd take the remark as a compliment, but instead, he just said, "Nah! I'm just plain Nigel. I'm done with the studio."

As I released his wing, I looked at him, then turned to everyone else who was also looking at me. I know what they want to know. And I guess I should tell them. "So, you guys want to know what I went through? How I turned out to be an assassin who tried to hunt Alex down? How I-"

"Oh my God!" The girl twin, Tina I think, suddenly screamed. All of our eyes were directed to her.

"Miguel! Do you know what you just did?"

"W-what?"

She then picked her brother up by grabbing on to his sides. "You just brought an assassin to Uncle Alex's house! And Uncle Alex is the target! And to make things worse, we're all here as witnesses! We're gonna die! We're all gonna die! AGH!"

I didn't know what to do as soon as she reacted. I felt like I wanted to just get a gun and shoot myself in the head... which will not get me anywhere. So all I did was just sit in my spot and watch the whole scene unravel. What I'm seeing now is Tina's brothers and parents trying to calm her down. "Calm down, sis! She's not going to kill Uncle Alex, or us!" Brandon said.

"How would you know? She- She said it herself!"

"Well, if she was going to kill him, then why didn't she do it now? Uncle Alex's belt is just next to her and you know that the belt's filled with stuff that can kill."

And with that, her ridiculous panicking ceased. But she was still worried that I would kill everyone, which is unlikely because I decided to change for the better. "Look, before any of you would react in an absurd manner, is it alright if I can explain myself first, hmm?"

And then Alex and Blu chimed in. "Yeah, guys. She's right."

The rest then nodded in reply. "Okay then."

**A few minutes later...**

"So you're saying that you were forced to take the path of the unrighteous?" Alex asked while he rubbed the back of his head with his right wing. Nigel was next to him.

"Uh-huh."

"Well, is it alright if you tell us what happened before all of this?" Asked a curious Jewel, who was sitting on the floor of the hollow next to Blu and their children.

Well, I did promise to tell them. So, here goes nothing... "It's kind of a long way, but alright. Here's how it all went; from the beginning until now..."

**FLASHBACK... as Sylvia explains the story of her life...**

November 14, 2004: 2 years after the deaths of Sylvia's parents

The moon revealed itself upon me. I was sitting on top of a building... on the ledge, that is. I couldn't get the thought and fact about my parents' deaths out of my head. It's been 2 years since their deaths and I was still sobbing at the very thought of them. "(SNIFF) W-why? Why did they have to die?"

I was so sad and busy depleting all my tears that I didn't notice my brothers standing behind me. They didn't look like they were crying. To be honest, they didn't even really cry so much after our parents' deaths. It's as if they didn't care! How could they? "Be strong, little sister. An event like that is one thing that everyone must go over." Diego said darkly.

I felt anger rise inside me. How could he say something like that? Sure, he's got a point, but the way he said it... "You wouldn't understand, Diego!" I yelled, which made him flinch and scowl at me.

Due to my anger, I stood up and went over to him. "I love my parents! It's extremely hard to get them off my mind!"

"So? I love Mama and Papa too! Just because I'm not crying over their deaths doesn't mean I don't care about them!"

"Tch! Really? Well it doesn't seem like it! By the looks of you and Gregorio, it looks like the both of you were responsible for their deaths!"

After what I said, he paced towards me and gave me a full slap on the right side of my face, which caused me to stumble to the ground. "(SLAP!) Ugh!"

His slap brought me down, but that didn't force any new tears to develop. I was about to stand up, but then Diego grabbed me by my chest feathers and pulled me up. Once he clutched onto me, he then turned around and planted me against something hard, cold and metal. He got me pinned on one of the building's power units. "Sylvia. Look at me. LOOK AT ME!"

Even without the tears, I was still scared. I didn't know what he was planning to do to me. So I just followed his instructions and looked at him. "Please! I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up! Get a grip on yourself! Forget about our parents!"

"B-but..."

"Augh, merde! NO 'BUTS'! We're on our own here, and it's time you learn that the world is against us!"

The world is against us? What the Hell was he talking about? "W-what do you mean, Diego? I don't want to assault the world!"

"Aye, aye, AYE! You see? That's what took our parents' lives away! They were too soft! YOU'RE too soft! The world is not a kind place, Sylvia! The moment you trust someone, they'll immediately whip up a plot to stab you in the back! Do you now see the logic of my reason?"

I was too scared to say anything. All I felt was fear. My older brother gets very scary when angered. He's silent most of the time.

"Damn it, Sylvia! Say something! Do you or do you not understand?" He yelled as he tightened his grip on my chest feathers, which resulted to sharp pains. I didn't want to get hurt anymore, so I nodded quickly.

And with that, he let go of me and paced a few steps backward. "Remember, Sylvia: We are against the world as it is against us. If you want to do some trust-building, then let me handle it. Which reminds me, I already know a few friends that we can trust. Human friends, that is."

Human friends? How was he able to communicate with them? "Follow me. You too, Gregorio."

I didn't want to cause any more trouble, so I just obeyed and followed him, with Gregorio behind me. But there's one thing I'm wondering about... Why didn't Diego tell me that he and Gregorio weren't responsible for the death of our parents? Why did he just slap me and tell me to get a grip on myself? Hmm...

* * *

><p>We've been flying for like 15 minutes already! Where was Diego leading us? By the looks of our surroundings, it's as if we were on our way to a worn-out shack filled with no-good criminals and drug dealers. I'm not saying that poorly maintained places always have bad people lurking around, but that's always the first feeling I get. My parents told me to always be wary about my surroundings. Otherwise I'll just be a victim to a lot of things.<p>

"Diego, can you just tell me where we're going? I have a bad feeling about this..." I said with worry.

"Patience, Sylvia. You'll see..."

Tch! As if that's gonna help.

Anyway... it didn't take long enough until we reached our destination. And my hunch was correct. Our destination IS a worn-out shack. However, I didn't hear any sounds coming from it. So maybe there weren't any people high on the stuff they sniff on. What's with those things anyway? What's so good about sniffing white dust? It looks gross.

We landed by the windowsill of the shack. A shade of a dim light was visible. It kind of reminds me of those horror movies about psychos in a shack. They come at you wielding chainsaws or machetes. Ugh...

"We're here. Sylvia, from now on, you will have to think of no one else but me, Gregorio our new human friends and yourself."

"W-why? Please, Diego. If this will involve violence, I don't want to go through this."

"This is the only way you'll get over our parents' deaths. Live with it."

**FLASHBACK END...**

"From that day on, I was trained under those terrorists that attacked you and your human friend, Alex. I... I didn't want to join them, but Diego forced me. No matter how much I begged of him and Gregorio, they wouldn't let me go and live my own life. As time went by, I grew accustomed to the things I am told to do. My life slowly turned into a life of crime and violence. My kind and passionate self slowly died while I committed all of the bad things I was told to do. I felt no guilt or sorrow. All I felt was evil, hatred and the pleasure of killing."

"HOWEVER... this is what happened when I tried to turn against my brothers... I turned against them after meeting Alex..."

**ANOTHER EXPLANATION...**

"What the Hell, Sylvia! Why did you not go after him? You perfectly saw me and Gregorio knocked down! You were only simply pushed off of him, so that doesn't give you an excuse to not take any blame for his escape!" My older brother was yelling at me and scolding me because I had let Alex escape. I have my reasons to why I did not go after him. I remember saying that he was a looker, and it's true. He really is. When I glared at him for wooing me, I didn't actually mean that glare. I kind of blushed under my feathers when he said those things. However, of all the things that couldn't get my eyes off of, it was his eyes. They were strangely painted with a shade of red, which I think is not normal. Bald Eagles are supposed to have yellow eyes, if I'm correct. But to put all of that aside, I also noticed something else in his eyes. It was the determination to hopefully become friends at the very least. All of that is why I did not go after him. I did not care if I would be executed for not following a direct order.

Actually, speaking of orders, I can't wait until the police find those terrorist-scumbags. I'm tired of participating in the assassination missions that they give us. I mean, all-in-all, killing is wrong. It's true that I have killed plenty alongside with my brothers. Our victims were mostly pets or companions of specific humans that dared to cross paths with those terrorists. But remembering how they all looked at me when I was to make the final kill, I just felt a ton of guilt. "Look, Diego! I did not go after him anymore because I did not want to kill him! I'm tired of killing! I'm tired of seeing blood splattering around me as well as hearing the screams of our victims!"

My reply sent my brother into a stage of roaring rage. To be honest, even I do not want to deal with him when he's like that. But since I plan to change for the better, I prepared to make my stand. "How dare you say that! You always enjoyed slaughtering all of our targets! W-who are you right now? YOU'RE NOT MY SISTER!"

I stood up and abruptly went over to him, also feeling enraged by his ranting and lack of understanding. "And I do not plan on continuing my life as your sister if you don't stop following orders from those terrorists! Those guys are nothing but walking sacks of... of..."

"Go on... say it. I dare you... Say it..." His voice sounded calm but had murderous intentions soaking it. I didn't care though. I didn't want to be his sister anymore if all of this were to continue.

"THOSE GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT WALKING SACKS OF SHIT!"

All of a sudden, he charged and pounced at me, letting me be pinned down with his foot on my neck, slowly gripping it tightly. "Uurgh... you wouldn't kill your own-ugh... sister..."

"I would if you don't take that back... AND NOT SHUT THE HELL UP!" He said as he lowered his head to me, glaring at me. That's it! I had enough of this nonsense. I'm thinking about getting out of here and try to find Alex so I could apologize. I know he won't trust me immediately, but I'm sure he'll give me a second chance. I mean, I overheard Kipo talking to Alex about Nigel. If I remember correctly, Nigel used to be a star in South American tela nobelas. But after his sudden downfall, he mysteriously disappeared. And coincidentally, bird-smuggling became such a big hit around the place. Perhaps Nigel had something to do with it, then he suddenly felt guilty and then he bumped into Kipo and his so-called army of birds and took revenge by nearly killing him. And then Alex must have appeared in the scene and kept Kipo and the others away from him and gave Nigel a second chance. At least that's how I understood their conversation before we came out from the trees.

Anyway, I'm not going to have my so-called brother choking me to death. I'm going to do what I have to do. "N-no... I won't shut up... BUT I WILL GET AWAY FROM ALL OF YOU!" I yelled as I scrounged up all my strength and pried his foot off my neck. As soon as I did that, I did something that I did not regret. I gave him a loud-thudded punch in the face, making him fall to the ground. "That's for threatening me and putting your honor for those terrorists in front of innocent lives!"

I immediately flew towards the top window of the warehouse, but then I heard Gregorio and what I believe is the cocking of a gun. If you must know, us three eagles also have our share of anthropomorphism. I looked behind me and I saw him perched on a worn-out scaffolding "You're not flying out of this one, you traitorous bitch!" He yelled as he pulled out an H&K MP5A2 built for his size, and started firing away. I did my best in dodging every bullet he had to throw at me at the same time nearing the window. I was hoping that he would run out of ammo, but when I observed his gun before he started shooting, I saw that he had an extended-dual mag. It gives him the advantage to reload faster and not run out of bullets immediately; making it hard for me to escape.

"Just hold still and I'll make it quick, little sister! HAHA! A bullet to the brain won't hurt as much!" My God! What he said just gave me the chills on my spine!

"(RATATATATATATATATATATATAT-CLICK!) Agh, merde!" He's jammed! Now's my chance! I regained my flight path and flew towards the window. However, when I got there, the window was locked. "No, no, no!" I mentally yelled as I tried to bash the window broken.

"Diego! She's by the window! Shoot her down, now!" Gregorio shouted as he tried to fix the jammed gun. When I looked to where me and Diego were a while ago, I saw him there as he took out a sniper rifle built for his size. It was a Dragunov Sniper Rifle. It's not as powerful as the U.S. Army's Barrett .50, but since I'm just an eagle, Diego's rifle can instantly put me down if I'm hit in the right spot.

"I'm sorry, Sylvia, but you brought us to this extent. We won't need you anymore." Diego said as he aimed for me. I hit the window multiple times with all my might but to no avail. Thinking that this will be the end of me, I braced myself for the rifle to end me and closed my eyes.

"(BANG-CRACK!)"

I opened my eyes due to the sharp pain that flooded my body, specifically my stomach, and held on to that area; blood seeping through the hole. However, I heard a crack from behind me. Ha! Diego just did me a big favor. With the both of them looking at me through their weapons' sights, I smiled and gave them my last message. "Thank you, gentlemen. Especially you, Diego."

"What..." Diego said in a confused tone as he lowered his rifle.

"You just did me a huge favor." I said, and then I threw myself into the now-cracked window; smashing it open and allowing me to fly away. I know I had a bleeding stomach now, but I decided to deal with the wound as soon as I get away from this place and take refuge in the jungle.

I flew, and I flew, and I flew until I lost complete sight of the warehouse. As soon as that happened, I landed on a branch and scanned the area for a stream. I needed to wash up, especially my wound. I also looked around for herbs. I'm not good at Herbalism, but it would be better than nothing.

I flew on, passing trees as blood slowly seeped through the hole in my body. It hurt so much, but at least the bleeding wasn't as bad as a while ago.

I suddenly started to feel very tired as my vision started getting blurry. Damn... I must've lost a lot of blood. I lowered my self to the ground and walked groggily while holding onto my wound. "Ugh... It hurts... Someone... please... Help me..." I said weakly as I slowly knelt down. I looked up into the sky. The sun was shining brightly on me, but the heat was burning my wound. So I crawled slowly away from the sunlight, with my vision getting darker and blurrier.

The next thing I knew, I collapsed and lay down on something wet and cool. "Water... water... unh..." Those were my last words until everything went black.

**AFTER THE EXPLANATION...**

"That's how I ended up in that stream. And that's also how I got shot. My own brothers tried to kill me..."

Everyone was sad when they listened to my tale. I even think Nigel and Brandon were trying not to shed tears. I could hear them sniffing. "(SNIFF) That, by far, is one of the most touching and heart-breaking tales I have ever listened to." Said Nigel as he wiped a tear from his right eye.

"(SNIFF) You don't say, huh Uncle Nigel?" Brandon said as he also wiped a tear from his right eye.

His sister, Tina, saw what was happening to her brother and her uncle. The sight made her scoff and roll her eyes. "Pfft! Babies..."

Miguel must have heard her remark because he taunted her for the two crying birds. "Says the one who got scared featherless when Miss Sylvia owned up to everyone about herself!"

"Yeah, well... Heeeeeey!"

The ensuing scene was pretty funny. I wanted to laugh, but then Alex asked me a question... A serious one, that is... "So that means you know what happened to Dexter? Is... Is he alive?"

That question stunned me. I was scared that Alex would get mad at me, but I just decided to tell the truth. However, I didn't forget to brace myself.

"(SIGHS) Yes. He's alive. He's currently residing in the most famous hotel of Rio.

* * *

><p>*Elena Siegmann: A singer for their band that plays the songs and easter eggs for Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies. Alex referred to the drummer of the band.<p>

Author's Note: GASP! He's alive! At least that's what Alex is feeling. How will he react? What will he say to Sylvia? Will he lose his cool? Will he be excited? Will he faint? (Not likely) :D

Anyway, now you know how Sylvia turned into a villain. But now, she's a good character! YAY! XD

I hope you enjoyed it! It was pretty hard trying to get Sylvia's story from scratch. It took me about a whole day to think about it. :)

Feel free to review, and if ever any of you see anything odd, give me the heads-up, alright? Okay! :D

Next chapter will be mostly about those codes! About time too! But the question is... WHO WILL SOLVE THEM?

Anyway, that's all for now! see you in the next chapter! :D


	15. Life is Codetastic!

Author's Note: Coming up with Sylvia's story was pretty hard. It took me a whole hot day to think about it. But it went very well as an end result... Thankfully. :)

By the way, if any of you are interested, you can check my profile for news on any upcoming stories, WiP stories and complete stories. The news are complete with ratings, genres, entry types, statuses and summaries. You can also find a list of my OCs that appeared in all of my stories, as well as a bit of their information. Check it out, if you want! :D

Anyway, just like I said, this chapter will be focused on the codes.

I couldn't think of a better title, so... yeah. :)

Here it is! Chapter 15: "Life is Code-tastic!"

* * *

><p>"Life is Code-tastic!"<p>

Sad pasts involving the deaths of parents... That is something that Sylvia and Alex have in common. And they both don't even know how they died. How is it going to go for the two?

While the answer to that is to be discovered, Blu is about to find something that is supposed to answer all the questions Alex has been trying to solve.

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV<strong>

6:30 pm...

Everyone was pretty silent. The only audible ones were Alex and Sylvia's conversation and Brandon and Nigel's sniffling because of Sylvia's little tale. It's true... it's a sad tale. Losing your parents and then being forced to do unrighteous stuff... I don't think I would be able to live if I was in Sylvia's place. She must be really strong. She's just like Jewel.

"R-really? He's... He's alive?" Alex asked with a wide-eyed expression; looking like he wants to form a smile.

Sylvia on the other hand, closed her eyes and let her head hang low; still saddened by the remembrance of her past and her guilt. "Yes."

And with that answer, Alex's eyes widened more and his awaiting smile finally revealed itself, accompanied by his sudden cheer and wing-raising. "HA HA! YES! That means I can return to my best buddy, and complete this vacation as planned! And after that, HA HA! HEL-LO WASHINGTON D.C.!"

Once he said that, my heart jumped. And I had a hunch that everyone else's hearts jumped as well. All of our eyes were directed to him. And once he noticed that, his expression loosened to a slightly saddened look. "Did... Did I say something wrong?"

I know he didn't say anything wrong, and I felt bad for looking at him that way. It made him think that he said something offending. Being the kind bird I am, I went over to him and placed a wing on his right shoulder as I smiled weakly. "No, you did not. It's just that... Honestly... I uh... We-"

"We don't want you to leave yet!" Chimed in a disappointed Tina. Thankfully she finished my statement, otherwise Alex would have thought of my nervousness the wrong way. Heck, even the other two went up to him. "Yeah, Uncle A. Please don't leave just yet. We've only known you for such a short time."

This sight made Alex smile, but it disappeared as he started to look anxious. "Ooh... I'd love to, kids, but... my and Dexter's plan was to stay here for two weeks only. And since we were separated, he probably thinks I'm dead. I have to get to him before he decides to leave for the United States."

I was feeling the exact same thing my children were feeling. I honestly didn't want him to go back yet. He's been such a great friend to us. And the best part is that he got us to befriend Nigel. No one else in this jungle would do that. If it wasn't for him, Nigel wouldn't be here and he would have nowhere to go. Oh, I've got to think of a way to make him stay for at least a couple more days. "What the children said was the same thing I was going to say, Alex. I honestly don't want you to leave yet."

"And so do we." Nigel and Jewel said with a saddened tone.

This made Alex so touched that he made a sad smile. He rubbed the back of his head lightly and said, "Aww... thanks guys. But how long do you want me to stay?"

"WE WANT YOU TO STAY FOREVER!" Shouted the kids. Alex and the others flinched at the pitch and volume of their voice.

"I'd love to stay forever, but I can't. I'm sorry."

"Then can we just come with you? PLEEEEEEEASE?"

Alex couldn't stand seeing the kids like that. They were looking at him with goo-goo eyes as they pleaded. His nervous expression made me want to laugh so hard! "Uh... I uhh... umm... Th-that would be for your parents to decide."

"How about I make a suggestion." I said with a smile as I crossed my wings and looked at Alex. "How about you stay for a couple more days, hmm? Is that alright with you?"

Alex rubbed the bottom part of his beak as he thought. I hope he says yes... and I also hope he doesn't take long in deciding. "Let me think..."

He then turned around and faced the hollow. We were all looking at him. Even Sylvia. We could hear him muttering his thoughts. "It wouldn't hurt to stay for a couple more days. But Dexter might leave anytime and I'll never know. I don't want to disappoint my friends... What to do... What to do... Augh, for God's sake! I'm an eagle! I can always fly there if he ever leaves!"

Then he turned around and we saw that he had a victorious smile on. "You know what? I'm staying for a couple more days!"

The faces on my children lit up and they started cheering. Jewel, Nigel and even Sylvia joined them. "YAY! AWESOME SAUCE!" Cheered the children.

"Splendid choice, mate!" Nigel affirmed while putting a hint of Australian accent in his reply.

"As long as everyone's happy, I'm happy!" Jewel announced.

"I guess that choice is pretty good." Sylvia said sweetly.

Laughter and cheering now filled the large hollow. Everyone was pretty happy for his decision. But I think the kids are TOO happy. In fact, they were so happy that they all rushed towards Alex and practically JUMPED on him. They hung around him like monkeys. Brandon was hanging on his left wing. Tina had her wings fully wrapped around his neck. And Miguel was hanging on to his right leg. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I was about to tell them to get off of him, but then Alex started laughing with them. I didn't want to be a kill-joy, so I let them hang on him. However, I eyed Jewel, Nigel and Sylvia with a look that says, "Stay alert. The kids might go to far.". When their eyes got into contact with mine, they nodded.

"Ha ha ha ha! It's all good, kids! 'Ole Uncle Alex is still staying!" He laughed as he tried to balance the three excited little fluffs of feathers.

This was a fun day. Nothing bad really happened. There were a few incidents leading to trouble, but it turned out that it was just some prank. Gosh, Nico and Pedro. You guys sure know how to make a bird happy...

The rest of us smiled as were just watching the 4 birds have their fun. I glanced at Sylvia, who was also smiling at the sight of happiness. But just as I was about to look away, something caught the corner of my right eye. I turned my head to that direction and saw something white underneath Alex and Nigel's nest. My curiosity meter was slowly rising; tempting me to grab it.

Before I made any move, I took a quick glance at everyone and their eyes were directed to Alex and the kids. I guess now was the right time for me to grab it.

I slowly knelt down and reached out for the white object. (Quick nest rustling...)

Once I got hold of the object, which felt like a piece of paper, I quickly took out my wing from the nest and placed it behind my back; trying not to look suspicious.

Thankfully, no one noticed. Now all I have to do is wait until we leave.

**20 Minutes later...**

**Jewel's POV**

The kids were exhausted from their little playtime with Alex. Miguel was asleep in Alex's wings and Tina was asleep in Sylvia's wings. Brandon was still awake, but he was slumped against the wall of the hollow; breathing heavily. At least he still had a smile on his face. And Nigel was next to him; gently rubbing his back-feathers. "He he... Quite a time you had with your uncle, did you now?"

"... Yeah... But it... was worth it..."

I looked outside the hollow, and the moon was really showing itself. It was beautiful. So calming. Why didn't this work for Alex when he was depressed? The same goes to another friend of mine.

Anyway, it's getting really late. The kids need their sleep. I turned around and faced everyone. "Um, guys... It's getting late. Is it alright if Blu, I and the kids leave?"

"Of course, Jewel! No one's forcing you to stay here. You can stay as much as you want as well as go home anytime." Nigel said as he went closer.

"Thanks." I said with a smile. And with that, I turned to Blu, who had one wing behind his back. I didn't know what that meant. I was thinking about asking him, but since he's normally awkward, I decided to let it slip my mind. "Blu, do you want to go home?"

"Alright."

And with that, Sylvia and Alex gently woke the sleeping kids that were cradled in their wings. "Heeey, sleepy heads. Wake up." They soothed as they rubbed the children's back.

I have to say, when Alex and Sylvia are next to each other while cradling the sleeping children, they look like parents. In fact, they look good for each other.

"Ooooooh... Do we have to?" Tina and Miguel said in unison.

"Yes. Your parents are tired and so are you." Sylvia said.

So, they got up from their wings, and went over to me and Blu sluggishly.

Once they got to us, we prepped ourselves for flight and said, "Good night, guys!"

"Good night and take care!"

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV... Again...<strong>

As soon as we got home, the kids plopped onto the nest. They sure knocked themselves out while horsing with their uncle.

Jewel also plopped onto the nest with the kids. "Ooooooh... Boy, am I tired. I gonna sleep ahead, alright?"

"Alright. Good nigh, Jewel." I said with a smile.

Once she fell asleep, I took out the piece of paper that I found underneath Alex and Nigel's nest. Why would they keep something like this under their nest? Huh! It might be a list of wishes for Christmas. Then again, Christmas is 8 months away from now, and Alex and Nigel are smart enough to know that making a wish list now would be silly. So this piece of paper's got to have something else.

Feeling excited, I unfolded it quickly.

I'm not a privacy-hacking kind of bird, but to be honest, I was hoping I could find some juicy secrets. But instead... here's what I saw: "Alex, my dear friend, there's something that you should've known a long time ago." And then the rest were symbols and numbers.

Wait... Now I know what this is! This is the code sheet that Alex had when we first met him! Apparently, he was able to solve the first bit of the puzzle. Hmm... perhaps I can solve this for him. I'm not nervous about this anymore because the first line already tells me that this has nothing to do with the government.

I set myself on the hollow's floor and started getting to work. Luckily, Linda gave me a pencil and some paper before I headed out and I haven't been able to use them lately. So I have plenty.

"Okay... Let's see..." I said as I examined the codes.

**3 Minutes later...**

Hmm... I'm starting to get this...

**5 Minutes later...**

No, no, no... That can't be... I'm pretty sure Dexter's just kidding about this... I hope so...

**10 Minutes later...**

Oh... my... God! This... This... This can't be...

**15 Minutes later...**

I can't believe it. It's done! This was very easy to solve! Why did Alex have such a hard time with this? This only took me 33 minutes to solve! I hate to break it to him, but... I think I can do better than Alex!

Gah! Why am I thinking such things? Sheesh... Anyway... now that I'm done translating the codes, let's see what the whole message is all about.

**From Dexter's note...**

"Alex, my dear friend, there's something that you should've known a long time ago. I did not find you in an animal rescue center. I found you in a burning forest. I don't know about your father or your sibling (if you ever had one), but... You were underneath your mother. She was dead when I and my team got there. A branch was sticking through her body and you were covered in her blood. With the way she was covering you, she was trying to protect you."

"I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I hid the truth from you. I just didn't want you to get hurt by the fact that you'll never see your mother again. Get mad at me, if you wish. I just hope that somewhere in your heart, you understand why I did such a thing and that we can still be buddies. I just wanted to protect you from the painful truth."

From your buddy, Dexter E.

**End of note...**

Oh, my... So... Alex never knew about his family. How is he going to take this? Should I even tell him? I have a feeling I shouldn't. At least not yet. Oh, what to do, what to do, what to do... "How am I going to do this? I can't just tell Alex about this. He's gonna freak out."

I just sat there, wondering what on Earth am I going to do. This letter... it's going to break him. It might even break his friendship bond with Dexter.

Maybe... Maybe Jewel can help me. Yeah. I guess I can talk to her tomorrow about this. I just hope that nothing bad's going to happen.

So, I just folded the code sheet, placed it under the nest, and cuddled up with Jewel and the kids. "I'm sorry for your loss, Alex."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm sorry if this was short and a bit less detailed. But I can assure you that the next will be juicy. :)<p>

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, though.

So... as usual... feel free to review. I'd be happy to see them. If you spot any oddities that I missed, do not hesitate to give me the heads-up, and I will get it fixed.

We'll meet again in the next chapter. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and have a nice day. :D


	16. Party Intentions to Painful Intentions

Author's Note: Good day once again! I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. Now, I know for sure that some of you have a few questions regarding the feathers mentioned in "The Ultimate Plan"... right? Am I right?

Anyway, one of the possible questions regarding that issue is this (at least that's what I think): Will the plan to have Alex framed take place in this chapter?

My answer to that, is... Yes, BUT... It's only the beginning of the plan. Not the climax of the plan. The climax and the conflicts will take place in the next chapter. That's where the real and painful framing begins. ;)

There. I think I got all that in the notepad. Sorry if I spoiled anyone else, but I had to get rid of my anxiety for those who have questions. I hope you all understand. :D

Anyway, as I typed this chapter out, I received news that one of my uncles passed away. He was a good man. I'm depressed about the issue. At least he's in a better place... T_T

So, that's enough blabbering from me. Let's put the sad thoughts aside and get the show moving on, shall we? This chapter may be the juiciest I've ever written, as it will contain multiple sections. ;)

Here it is! Chapter 16: Party Intentions to Painful Intentions

* * *

><p>Party Intentions to Painful Intentions<p>

Looks like Blu just did Alex a huge favor. Solving the codes for him was a very generous act... but also a little mischievous, as he had hoped that the code sheet contained juicy secrets. Not likely of the socially awkward Blu, but of course. Curiosity gets the best of everyone.

Meanwhile, Alex, Nigel and Sylvia were left alone in the hollow. What might be going on back there?

* * *

><p>Section 1: Alone Together<p>

**Alex's POV**

Was Nigel kidding me? Why on Earth would he suggest that? What if HE gets killed out there? Not only does he have to worry about the predators out there, but he also has to worry about the rest of the jungle locals. A majority of them still hates him for what he's done in the past, and I don't want a riot going on and about. "Are you serious, Nigel? Now, why would you make that kind of decision, huh? It's alright if you stay here with me and Sylvia. We don't have to be alone together. I mean, it wouldn't matter anymore 'cause I'm leaving after a couple of days. Once I'm gone, you will be the one in charge of this hollow, and maybe even Sylvia."

Nigel didn't seem too worried about what may happen to him. All he said was, "Don't put yourself in a preposterous situation, lad. That's my point. Since you'll be departing in a couple of days, it's recommended to enjoy your final moments with her."

"Ugh! Do you even know how long it's been since I first met her?"

"Hmm... The time now is 7:24 pm, as it says in your iPod." He said as he handed me my gadget. "So I say that you have only come to know her... multiple hours ago."

"Exactly! How the heck can I form a lovely relationship if I've only known her for nearly a whole day and that I'm leaving in a couple of days?"

This brought Nigel into thinking about the whole issue. God, did he really have to do it just now, when he could have thought about it not long ago?

I crossed my wings across my chest and blankly stared at him; waiting for a reply. And then after about 3 minutes, he said, "Good point. You'd just break her heart in the end anyway."

With what he said, my eyes widened, my wings drooped down and my beak was left open. I was supposed to say something, but his statement really shoved my chest there, if you know what I'm talking about. The only words that came out of my beak were, "I ought to punch you in the guts right now."

"Hey, it's true! That would happen if you do that. You form a relationship and then you leave? That's bound to make someone's happiness dissipate into nothing, my friend."

Okay. Now on that, he's got a point. So I guess we've understood each other then. I re-positioned myself and nodded at his remark. "I see... Well, fine. Go ahead. But where will you stay for the night?"

Nigel moved his beak as he was about to answer, but suddenly, we heard someone outside the hollow. "Uh, excuse me... Nigel, Alex?"

Nigel was blocking the hollow's exit so I couldn't see who was out there. But of course I used my common sense, so I leaned to my left and I specifically saw a Yellow Canary and a Red Cardinal. Nico and Pedro... "Oh, hey guys! What brings you two here? And come on in."

And with that, they entered our fairly large hollow and Nigel turned around to face them. Thank God the tree we chose was big. That way, more birds could fit inside. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, bros, but me and Pedro here just came to tell you that we are having a blowout at the Hip Foliage tomorrow afternoon!" Nico chirped enthusiastically.

"Yeah, big birds! If you guys wanna come over and party like the animals you are, then feel free to do so! Heck, it's even Karaoke Night tomorrow. So it's gonna be a blast, dawgs!" Pedro announced. Man, Rafael was right about these two. They sure do know how to be hip. And I guess they were born with it.

Me and Nigel were delighted to come over, so we gladly accepted their offer. "We accept!" We said in unison.

"Ha ha! Alright! Well, we better get going and tell the others- Hey, who's that behind you two?"

I turned around to see Sylvia sleeping peacefully on the nest. I'm quite surprised that she didn't wake up from the little conversation I had with Nigel. I was about to answer, but Nigel took the chance, which I was hoping that he wouldn't because... "Oh, that's Alex's astoundingly beautiful girlfriend. Her name is Sylvia. He met her this morning. So far, only me, Blu and his family know the big secret."

Yeah, that! I turned my head to face Nigel and the two party birds and they were giving me that annoying grin. Damn it, Nigel. Damn it! "Oh, puh-lease... She's just a friend, guys."

I was hoping Nico and Pedro took my reply as it is, but unfortunately, they didn't. "Really, Alex? C'mon, man! You never told Rafael about this! You know what? Bring her along tomorrow as well! Besides, a friend of our friends is also a friend of ours."

I felt my face forming a small glare as I listened to Nico's teasing. I mean, nothing's wrong about bringing Sylvia along. Really! But the fact that they were teasing me and such... Jeez! Can't I take a break from all of this?

"Aaaaand since it will be Karaoke Night, me and Nico are gonna put you in the list of chosen singers! I'm sure your girl's gonna love your voice as you holler out the voice that says love."

Chosen singers? Are they out of their minds? I can't sing very well! Hell, I don't even know if I can sing a verse! Sure, I can sing my country's national anthem, but that's it! Make me sing a song by Blake Shelton or Owl City, or any other kind of song from a band or singer, and I'm going to end up getting covered in fruits! Knowing these two guys, they're pretty persistent, as to what I know from Rafael. I've got to beg of them to not put me on the list.

So I got on my knees and went towards them with my wings clamped to each other as if I was praying. "Please! Don't do that! I'm a horrible singer! I don't want to get humiliated in front of everybody!"

"Aww, c'mon, Alex! Don't be such a baby! You'll do fine!" I was expecting them to put their sympathetic feelings in the front, but instead they tossed my pleas away. The uncomfortable feeling made me fall to the ground. Nigel just passed me by and went towards the other two.

"He's just exhausted, guys. He'll lighten up tomorrow morning. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to leave."

"Go? Go where?"

"I thought about leaving Alex with Sylvia so he could enjoy his last moments with her."

"Last moments? Is she dying or something?"

Ugh! Listening to their current conversation's going to blow my head apart! I covered my hearing systems with my wings as I lay down on the ground miserably and nervously. Now all I hear from them are muffled voices. I guess I can stay like this until their conversation blows over.

**A few minutes later...**

"And that's what we were talking about and why I am going to hole up somewhere else for the night."

Nico and Pedro understood his story and nodded. But then Nico's face lit up like he had an idea. "Hey, I got it! How 'bout you hole up with us, man?"

And then Pedro's face also lit up from his idea. "Oh, yeah man! That's rad! Stay with us for the night. That way, you wouldn't have to look for another hollow to sleep in!"

"Well, that's flattering, my dear friends. But... what if I don't fit? Your hollow might be smaller than this. No offense."

"Ha ha! Of course you'll fit! In fact, we moved to a new hollow right after you left from our little meeting this afternoon. So you still want to come over for the night?"

"Of course! Thank you!"

And with that, Nigel left with Nico and Pedro; leaving me alone with Sylvia. "I'll see you in the morning, alright Alex? 'Night!"

"Good night." I said as I watched them fly into the night sky and disappearing behind some of the large trees. Well, it's official. I'm all alone with Sylvia now. I just hope I don't screw anything up.

Getting up from the floor, I went over to the nest and looked at the sleeping Sylvia. She looked so peaceful and elegant. I'm sorry that she lost her parents. It must be really painful to see them dead. I wonder where MY parents are... Especially my mother. She seems to be the eagle that always appears and dies in my nightmares. But I'm just not sure. I'm afraid to take the leap on that choice. Then again, I shouldn't think about it anyway. Besides, Nigel told me that it was all just a pathetic dream trying to scare me. My mother would never die like that. She's probably still out there; looking for me. But would time allow that? She might have aged over the limit by now.

I closed my eyes and tried to remove the thoughts about my mysterious past. Perhaps some happy thoughts would do...

**Q****UICK IMAGINATION...**

"Oh, Alex. I love you."

"I love you too, Sylvia-darling."

Then soon, we were both in each other's wings and started kissing each other passionately as we lay down on the nest together.

**QUICK IMAGINATION END...**

What the Hell? Why on Earth would I think of that? Did I drink something alcoholic today? "I've got to get her out of my head as well."

Well, this day was pretty tiring. I guess I'll go to sleep. Right next to... Sylvia. I shivered as I lowered myself towards the nest. As I lay next to Sylvia, I felt my heart beating really fast. I felt like it was going to blow any second. "Oooooh... This is killing me..."

"Mmmmmmm..."

"(GASP) Damn it. I think I woke her up."

Sylvia began making sounds after my last remark, and yes. I woke her up. "What were you guys chattering about, hmm?"

"Uh, um... What do you mean?"

She paused and looked at me with her narrowing eyes. I think she can see my through my bluff. "You know what I mean. I was half-awake when I heard you and Nigel talking."

Okay, she DID see through my bluff. But then she looked around the hollow as if she's looking for something or someone. Nigel, maybe? "Speaking of him... where is he?"

"Oh, Nico and Pedro invited him for a sleep-over." That was a lie. Just as he said a while ago, he wanted to leave me and Sylvia together for a time of final moments before I depart for the United States. The sleep-over thing was just a generous offer so Nigel wouldn't have to spend time trying to find a hollow. I didn't want to tell her because I might just get slapped or get stuck in an embarrassing awkward moment. And I hate either of the two possibilities.

"Well, that's nice of those two... whoever they are." Oh, yeah. I forgot. Sylvia hasn't met the others yet. Just me, Nigel and Blu's family. No matter. She'll get to know the rest of the gang when we head over to their club tomorrow afternoon.

"They're friends of Blu as well. You'll get to know them tomorrow afternoon. They invited us to their club for some partying. You interested in taking up on their offer?"

She sat up after I asked and gave it some thought. "Does it require me to remove this bandage wrapped around me? I don't want to go around the club looking like a zombie if I have to remove this thing."

"Of course it doesn't. If we remove that, you're going to bleed out."

Her eyes widened in realization and then she smiled at me with a nervous look. "Oops... I forgot my common sense. My bad."

I, on the other hand, just chuckled at her expression. "He he... It's alright."

After that, we just stayed silent. Our heads turned away from each other and we didn't say another word. I know my reason for doing that. I'm nervous. I didn't know exactly what to say. I don't know what Sylvia's thinking about though. The last thing I'm gonna need is her asking if I had any interest in her.

A few more minutes of silence passed by and I then heard Sylvia sigh. I looked at her and then she looked at me and then she said, "Well, I'm going back to sleep. I suggest you do the same. Good night."

I smiled warmly at her and said, "Alright. Good night."

So we both lay on the nest and prepared to get some sleep. A funny thing about my sleeping position... I usually sleep like a human. My legs are folded the way humans fold theirs when sleeping. My wings are either on my chest or underneath my cheek when I sleep sideways. Sylvia does the same too. I just noticed it now.

I was facing the hollow's wall, while Sylvia was facing the hollow's exit. That means she can see the sun rise the first thing she wakes up. I take it that she wants to see the sun when she wakes up. Honestly speaking about that issue, if I were to draw a picture of that moment, I'd give it a title called, "The Girl with the Sun on her Feathers". Yup. I'd do just that.

**The next day...**

April 9, 2011, 8:00 am

(Heavy Snoring) Wow. I never knew Sylvia could snore so loud. I think its audibility could spread throughout the whole of Rio. Nah, I'm just playing. But seriously... Her snoring woke me up.

The sun shined upon Sylvia as I looked at her. She even had a smile on her face as she snored. Just looking at her smile makes me smile. Can you imagine? First she tried to kill me, and now she's here; under my care. He he... Who knew...

Hmm... I'm thinking... Maybe I can have some fun while it lasts. This is unlikely of me but if I'm going to make the best out of my remaining days here, then I guess Nigel made the right call to leave me alone with her... He he he...

**Sylvia's POV  
><strong>

(Snoring...)

...

...

...

...

"WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD!"

"Aaagh!"

I woke up to someone shouting. I opened my eyes immediately and sat up. And I saw Alex looking at me with a mischievous smile. It went straight to my mind that he was responsible for yelling that out. My shocked expression quickly morphed into a cold glare as I stared at his cute and silly mischievous smile. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, HUH?"

"Ha ha ha! Oh, nothing Sylvia. I just wanted to get a few laughs going on. You know what they say: You start a day with laughs and the rest will be fine! Yeah?"

I felt myself boiling inside that I clenched my wings like fists and yelled, "Oh, you're gonna get it! C'mere, you!"

I stood up and charged into Alex; pinning him to the nest. I was now on top of him, smiling and feeling like a dominant predator. He didn't look scared, but he looked like he wanted to laugh. But ignoring that, I prepared MY weapon of choice to get back at him. "You ready to pay the price, American? Because of what you did, you're in for a HELLISH TICKLE TIME! HA HA HA!"

With that, his eyes widened and his expression turned into a look of fear. "Oh, God! Okay! Okay! I take it back! I'm sorry! Please don't do this! My tickle spots are very sensitive!"

"Too late! You got yourself into this mess! And you're gonna go through it the hard way, whether you like it or not!"

Feeling triumphant, I plunged my wings towards his body and started to furiously move and rub my wing tips against his whole upper body. He closed his eyes, squirmed and cackled hysterically as my wing tips rubbed against his glossy brown feathers covering his tickle spots. "A-HAHA! HAHAHAHAHA! OH GOD, SYLVIA! HA HA! PLEASE STOP! HA HA HA! YOU'RE KILLING ME! A-HAHAHAHAHA!"

"No-can-do, Alex! You asked for this, so you got it now!"

I'll be honest here. I was actually having fun with him. It's been years since I had this much fun. I used to horse around like this with my mother and father. But since they're gone, the only one I can have this much fun with is Alex. My very first friend in years. My destined friend.

The tickle session lasted for about 5 minutes. I was lying on my back next to Alex. We were both tired from the laughter that erupted from our beaks. We took heavy breaths while giggling from the fun that we had. Deep inside my heart, I hoped that Alex wouldn't leave. He's such a good guy and not having him around after another day wouldn't be the same. I know I put myself into reconciliation just yesterday, but all the fun erupted from Alex once I owned up to him. It was sudden, but it's awesome.

"Sylvia?"

"Yes?" I said as I turned my head to face him. His red eyes gleamed even with the light against him.

"Wanna get some breakfast? I'm starvin'."

**A few minutes later... by the lake...  
><strong>

"(Nut crunching, fruit munching and fish tearing) Wow... I've never eaten this much. I mostly ate the souls of the innocent for all those years. I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Yes, Sylvia. But forget the horrible past that your evil brothers forced you into. You're here now, as a reconciled eagle and a friend."

"Yeah, I guess..." I lowered my head once I said that. I did that in fear. Even if I'm tough in multiple situations, I'm still scared that my brothers would come after me. They nearly killed me before. I'm sure they'll be successful once they catch me again.

"Something wrong, Sylvia? Did I say something that worried you?"

His voice snapped me out of my trance and I shook my head a bit before I looked back at him. "W-what?"

His red eyes peered into mine and his voice became serious. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I just uh... remembered my parents. That's all." I know I lied, but I don't want him to worry. I might as well let him enjoy his remaining days here without having to worry about anything.

"Okay. Just be sure that you're okay."

Our big breakfast lasted for about 10 minutes. As soon as we let the food digest, we headed towards the lake itself. We both stood there looking at the water. I'm pretty sure that we were both contemplating on whether we would take a bath now or later. I know I would take a dip later because I practically spent the whole afternoon yesterday lying down on a stream's flow, thanks to my older brother. And my bandage would get soaked. But Alex went in without a word and started covering himself with water.

"I bet you thought I was gonna jump." Alex said as he splashed his white-feathered head with water.

"Really, now? If I said that I did, what were you willing to bet on, hmm?"

"A nice, foot massage." He replied immediately. Wow. Was he already planning that? I guess he's always sore-footed from where he came from. He he.

"Well, why didn't you jump? I'd love to know why." I said as I smiled slyly. He probably had a juicy secret that's been waiting to be exposed.

He would reply every time he would splash water on a certain part of his body. But when I asked this one question, he stopped and started to look hesitant and anxious. "Uh... Because I... (GULP) C-can't swim."

...

...

"A-HAHAHAHAHAHA! You can't swim? Really now, Alex? Why not? Ha ha ha! You're anthropomorphic! You should know how to swim!" The fact that he couldn't swim made me laugh. Me and my brothers... Hell, even my parents knew how to swim. But Alex? Ha ha! Wow! That's the best secret I've ever heard!

I was busy laughing that I didn't notice him scowling at me. "I don't know why, okay? I just don't know how to and I'm scared to drown."

"Ha ha ha! Okay then! A-ha ha ha ha ha!"

* * *

><p>Well, we'll leave the two eagles to their morning fun. Let's go see how Blu and Jewel are doing... Perhaps with Nigel and the two party birds as well...<p>

* * *

><p>Section 2, Part 1: All According to Plan (Good Side)<p>

9:25 am...

**Blu's POV  
><strong>

"It's all true, Jewel. Alex's family is gone forever. Dexter isn't lying. I thought he was just joking, but the note's too dark for a joke. How on Earth are we going to say this to him? He's gonna break into a million pieces if we tell him this!"

We were all gathered for a family meeting. This issue isn't a joke. I didn't want to break Alex's heart by telling him what really happened.

"So, how can we do this then? He needs to know in the end anyway. We can't keep this away from him forever." Jewel said as she cracked open a nut.

"Sadly, I have to admit that... Wait! I got an idea!" This drew everyone's attention to me. This plan's got to work!

"Nico and Pedro said that we're going to the club later afternoon, right? I'm sure Alex will be there with Nigel and Sylvia. I could sneak behind him and try to slip the paper into one of his belt pockets. Then once he leaves, he can find out when he gets home! Brilliant, right?"

The plan sounded like it was going to be successful, but Jewel and the kids looked at me with disbelief. Their beaks were left open as if they wanted to say something but couldn't produce any sound at all.

"What? It's good, right?"

"Blu... That. Is. ABSURD! So, what? He'll take his anger on Dexter once he figures it out there? It's likely that he's going to get mad because he did not tell him the truth. That's a pretty selfish thought, Blu. Very unlikely of you."

I honestly didn't see that one coming. I felt very guilty for thinking that out of the abyss of my mind. "I'm sorry, Jewel. I didn't think that one out properly." I said as I lowered my head in shame.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway, you are going to show him this tonight."

That sent a wave of shock inside my body. I immediately faced her and she looked really serious about it. How can I tell him that tonight? Tonight's supposed to be fun. Not depressing. "Jewel, have mercy on the poor eagle! Tonight's "Fun Night". It's too sudden. I don't think he'll take it gently."

"Then what choice will you be left with, huh? It's either he finds out sooner or later. If later, someone might get hurt, and that's Dexter. If sooner, you can just talk it all out. THEN he'll return to Dexter with his understanding of why he had to keep it from him."

That plan's better than mine, obviously. God, I feel so guilty for coming up with that other plan. I rubbed the back of my neck with my one wing and the other posed for a shrug as I nervously smiled at Jewel. She still had her scowl on and her wings were folded. "E-hehe... The pressure led me to my thinking of that ridiculous plan."

Jewel, still with her expression and pose, darkly said, "Again... That's what I thought."

Damn it. Why does she have to be so mean at these kinds of situations? I didn't get her pregnant, did I? The last time I did it with her was about 2 months ago, but I made sure to use a pregnancy prevention tool, which was a *leaf. He he... who knew those actually work for that purpose...

I didn't plan on asking her if she was, though. She's sour now, and it could be worse if I asked her that. So instead, all I said was, "Yeah, you did. My bad..."

With a sigh, Jewel stood up and stretched her wings. After she placed them on her sides, she looked at me and said, "Make sure that he knows about this tonight, okay? Better now than later."

**Meanwhile... at the Hip Foliage...  
><strong>

10:00 am...

**Nico's POV**

Oh, Mama! The later hours of this day are gonna be a blast! Not only do we got another Karaoke Night planned, but heck! It's also a farewell party! For Alex! It's too bad that he would have to leave soon. As well as his girl. I mean, damn. To be honest here, when I saw her last night sleeping like a baby on the nest, wooh! She's a hot wing! And speaking of her, why did Alex deny Nigel's statement last night? He should be happy to be with a hot chick like her. By chick, I mean hot lady. I'm no child stalker.

Adjusting the bottle cap on my head, I paced my way towards Nigel and Pedro, who were wing wrestling and using a small box for wing support. How many times did I have to tell Pedro? He would always lose to bigger birds. "Man, Pedro. What did I tell you about challenging bigger birds to a wing wrestling match?"

By the looks of my bro, he's really straining his strength. And Nigel doesn't seem to be in need of a rush or panic. At least he ain't bragging about it. "I can't help it, bro! This-uurgh... is my best chance... to attract the shawty of my life!"

"Aww, c'mon man! For real? Look! Nigel's hardly using any of his wing tips to annihilate you! All you need to do is follow your own instructions when it comes to finding a girl. Why not do that instead, dawg?"

As he tried to hold against Nigel's strength, he turned to me with a scowl. "You sayin' I'm a puny hypocrite?"

"I would if you wouldn't give up. Nigel's gonna beat your feathery butt anyways." I taunted smoothly as I folded my wings. Nigel caught sight of my pose and smirked.

"Nico, give your friend a fighting chance! If this is the only opportunity for the love-deprived Pedro to find the girl of his life, then let him take the chance."

**A minute later...  
><strong>

"Awww, man! I was getting really close to beating you! Now I'm never gonna find a girl that appreciates me for who I am." What did I tell ya? Pedro's never gonna beat a bird bigger than him in wing wrestling.

Nigel was obviously the winner. But he didn't cheer in victory. Instead, he placed a wing over Pedro's shoulder. "The truth is... It's not all about strength, Pedro. If you really wish to get the mate you so desire, all you need is belief and trust in yourself... That you can do it and win her love."

"Where can I get all of that?"

"My dear Pedro. The source of all the valuable traits to win a girl's love is the heart. Not the mind or in your wings. I know I haven't been there yet and it would seem that I would not purely understand how you feel, but alas, my friend. All the traits you require come from the heart. Your heart."

After listening to his little lecture, I just stood in my place. I was shocked and impressed. I never knew Nigel had the skill of a love doctor. I was so impressed that I made a slow clap. "Wow, Nigel. I never knew you could be a love doctor. Perhaps I should ask you for some love advice if I ever get a girlfriend."

"I'd be happy to oblige, Nico." He said with a smile.

He then turned again to Pedro and excitedly asked, "So? Care for another round?"

"Oh-ho! You bet your talons I would, Mr. Love Doc!"

I'm gonna leave them to their fun.

I looked around the area of the club and almost everything's ready for the big party. The decorations were set, the speakers were wired and the music turntables have been modified. The other birds who were helping around were doing quite well. Heck, they even saw Nigel, but they didn't mind. I guess they remembered what Alex said and what Rafael did. But even with them not giving him frowns and glares, he would still be nervous.

Anyway, forgetting about the negative stuff, I just let myself chillax as I inspected everything in the club. Everything seems to be ready for some rockin'! Even the bar area was sweet! I just don't know how some of the other guys got the drinks. Some of them were simple and safe for minors. I know where THOSE come from. I just don't know where the liquor comes from. But so far, anyone who got drunk here didn't start a party crasher. Thank goodness for that...

"Nico! I wanna talk to you in private, amigo."

I was startled when someone suddenly called my name. And his voice sounded familiar too. I looked behind me and I saw Kipo. To be honest, I didn't want to talk to him. After Nigel told me and Pedro everything he did to him and Alex, I got pissed. So I planned not to talk to him until he apologized to the both of them. But since he wanted a private talk, then I guess I should go.

"What do YOU want, Kipo? Last night, I just had a bed-time story from Nigel about you being a jerk lately. That ain't cool, man." I said as I walked towards him.

He was just standing by the entrance of the club with his wings folded... like he was some kind of hot shot. "Actually, I was going to talk to you about Nigel. What's he doing here? And why are you throwing a good-bye party for that no-good Alex?"

Man, I ought'a clamp this guy's beak shut if he ever insults my friends like that again. "Well, Kipo. Nigel's here 'cause me and Pedro invited him as one of the special guests for later. And we're throwing a party for Alex 'cause he's leaving tomorrow."

"Ha! Serves him right! It's best that he ain't around anymore!"

"Look. Why don't you just hang out with your group of haters in the beach? I don't want you or any of your cronies around here until you apologize to Nigel and Alex."

"Pfft! Why do I need to apologize to Alex? What did I ever do to him?"

"Nigel told me what you did to Alex yesterday. He was just lookin' for an early morning snack and then you show up with ugly intentions. You even kicked him in his junk! What's more is that you led a trio of killer eagles to him! Thankfully, one of them, who is a girl, is not trying to kill him anymore. But from what I understood from Nigel is that her two brothers are still out there and they still want Alex's guts all over their hidey-hole! And you did all of that for what? Revenge for him making Rafael break his trust bond with you and your cronies. It was your fault that those things happened!"

Boy, was I pissed. Not only is he disrespecting my friends, but he's also disrespecting me and Pedro! I can't take anymore of his trash! "I don't know why it's so hard for you to understand, but dawg... Get the Hell outta here! Like I said; I don't wanna see you or your boys around here until y'all give your apologies to Alex and Nigel! Now git!"

Oh, he was speechless, alright. I guess he never saw me this angry before. But I think I was talking too loud. Everyone in the club was looking our way. Then again, I couldn't care less. I just wanted this guy to get outta my sight.

Kipo couldn't say a word. I'm pretty sure I owned him there. His expression showed some sadness at first. But then it changed into a look of hatred. "Mark my words, Nico. You'll regret the day you made friends with those two. Trust me. They're up to no good."

"Yadda, yadda, yadda! Whatever, man! If you don't have anything nice to say, then git! Get the Hell outta here before I whoop your ass myself!"

And with that, he turned and left the club. Hmph! Serves him right. The little spoon-billed snitch.

* * *

><p>Kipo finally got what he deserved. But is that enough to make him understand that Alex and Nigel have no intention of causing bad events?<p>

Leaving all that, as hours passed by, Diego and Gregorio are making final adjustments to their master plan. How far are they going to put things through just to complete their given task and to put down their own sister?

* * *

><p>Section 2, Part 2: All According to Plan (Bad Side)<p>

**In the abandoned warehouse...  
><strong>

5:30 pm...

**Diego's POV**

Finally! The moment that I have been waiting for! Soon, my plan to break Alex's bonds with his friends and to finally steal his life will be put into motion! In my history of targets, out of all of the ones that were marked, Alex was the most annoying and persistent bastardo that ever needed to be killed!

I had all the equipment I needed. I had some metal plates that I was able to weld into body pads. I was lucky to find a blowtorch, some durable straps and some other crafting tools that were left here. They were flimsy, but they did a good job. I made these pads in case that American ever tries to shoot me and Gregorio.

I also had my Dragunov Sniper Rifle. The same one that I used to shoot Sylvia. It's now fully loaded. Thankfully, anthropomorphism exists. I'm just surprised that even birds could cope with such a trait.

But most importantly... I had the most crucial part for this plan to work properly. Alex Eisenhower's feathers. Without these, the plan will easily fail.

"Tonight, you and Sylvia will meet your ends. And I'll see to it that you both don't leave life the easy way."

I lifted my gun from the floor, put my metal pads on my legs, chest and back. Gregorio also did the same. And one thing that Alex doesn't know is that WE also have our own utility belts. We're well armed than him. Even if he's somewhat able to convince his friends that he did not beat Rafael and that they know of my plan, Gregorio and I could still put them all down where they belong. In Hell!

"C'mon, Gregorio! We're moving out! It's time to put those two down, once and for all!... And make sure you didn't forget to put your pads on. You don't want to get shot."

"But our heads are exposed. And Alex has his own gun. He can still put us down easily. Didn't you have time to make some helmets?"

"(Sighs) Do I look like a blacksmith to you? Besides, I didn't have time to make head protection. Our plan starts tonight and rescheduling would be risky."

We flew off immediately into the afternoon sun as soon as we opened the low window. This plan had better work. I would go insane if this wouldn't work.

* * *

><p>Section 3: A Nerve-wrecking Karaoke Night<p>

6:45 pm

**Alex's POV**

Okay. The club's really crowded tonight. Is this how much birds come over almost everyday? God! Pedro and Nico sure know how to throw a party! Even the techno soundtrack's bass is beating the floor! I could feel it surging through my legs!

The lights were flashing around and you can hear the birds cheer and sing and even see them dance to the music's beat. Music... Oh, crap! I just remembered Nico and Pedro signing me up for Karaoke! Oh, God! I'm so nervous! I'm gonna make light bulbs and shot glasses break once my voice erupts from my beak!

"Uuh... Unh... Oooh..."

"C'mon, Alex! Those two dedicated this party for you! Enjoy yourself!"

"I'm trying to, Sylvia! But I don't know if I can sing very well!"

"Sing? You don't know how to- Okay. First, you don't know how to swim and now you don't know how to-"

I folded my wings and looked at her with my eyes half-closed. She wasn't helping. "You're not helping."

"Okaaaay. Then I guess I should stop talking."

"Thank you."

**Inside the club...  
><strong>

"Ha ha! Good evening, birds of Rio! How is everyone today? Y'all ready to party like the animals you are?" Nico announced on the microphone when he got on the stage. The crowd started cheering when he said that last bit. Wow. He sure knows how to get a crowd going. And honestly thinking, I wonder where they got all the stuff...

"Ha ha! That's what I thought you'd all say, meu amigos! Ha! Alright, alright. Settle down, folks. Settle down." The crowd slowly calmed down and was ready to listen to more of Nico's announcements and credits.

"We're all not here JUST to party normally. We actually dedicated this party to one of our friends. He's not from here, but he sure was good company for us. He came all the way from our northern neighbors' land, the United States, just to have a vacation with his human amigo. But tomorrow, he's leavin'. And we're gonna miss him."

Pedro then looked at one of the guys above and said, "Hey, man! Could you roll that spotlight no the crowd so we can show 'em all where he is?"

And with that, he switched it on and started looking for me. I was shivering on my spot. If I was also to make a small speech once I get called, I'm gonna burst in anxiety. In fact, I was too nervous that I didn't notice Nigel behind me. "How are you holding up, Alex? Is the party too rambunctious for you?"

"No. I'm just nervous that I'm gonna get called for-"

"Ah! There he is! Alex Eisenhower! One of our visitors and special guests for tonight!"

The crowd then started cheering again and they were all looking at me. Have they forgotten about what happened when I first got here? Then that's good. But I'm still nervous as Hell. "Yeah! There's our amigo! C'mon up here! Don't be shy! No one's fruit-piling here!"

I slowly made my way towards the stage; passing by a majority of the birds that saw me rescue Nigel. They didn't look angry or suspicious. In fact, as I paced forward, one of them told me, "Sorry for the little misunderstanding, American."

I told him with a smile, "It's all good, buddy."

When I got onto the stage, everyone was looking my way. By the bar area, which was on the left side of my view, stood Blu, Jewel, their kids, Eva, her kids, Sylvia and Nigel. But where's Rafael? Shouldn't he, the Samba King, be here?

My thoughts were broken when Pedro spoke up. "Yeah, it's his first time here in Rio. He had a few problems on the first day he got here, but that's all gone and he yet enjoyed his stay."

I looked at Pedro and he gave me a wink. I got the message already. He knew that me remembering my first day here would cause me to think about the bad stuff. But when he said that those problems are gone, I couldn't help but smile back.

"I also wanna say..." Nico said as Pedro gave him the microphone spot. "... thank you for accepting Alex, even for what he did back then. All he did was try to help someone who was our enemy before. He didn't know that, but he did tell us that revenge is wrong and that everyone deserves a second chance. I'm glad y'all put that advice in yo heads. That's why Nigel's a special guest here too. He's over there by the bar."

Everyone looked at that direction and Nigel waved happily like a child. Everyone who looked started to giggle. Wow. And I thought everything's gonna be a disaster. "Yeah, he's cool now. In fact, he's VERY cool!"

Everyone began to cheer and laugh again. Do Nico and Pedro really go through this almost everyday? Man, they're so popular.

"Okay! Alex, since it's Karaoke Night, and that you're one of the special guests, you get to have the honor of first singer of the evening. What do you wanna sing, hmm?"

... I think my mind exploded there. I didn't want to sing! I'm a horrible singer! I'm just gonna humiliate myself! "Uh.. I um..."

"C'mon, dawg! Don't be shy! It's all good!"

I knew there was no escape from this, so I took a deep breath, and thought about a song to sing. By the way, behind me were some birds holding instruments. They were able to make instruments out of various materials, they were connected with a wire to the speakers (excluding the drums)and they use them like humans! Wow! I now think that every bird has at least a bit of anthropomorphism in them.

Anyway, I don't want to waste time, so I have to think of a song quick! "Um... Ah! I got one! It's called, "You Better Love Somebody", by Rick Springfield."

"Ha ha!I knew you'd agree to the idea of singing!" Nico laughed and turned to the crowd. "You heard it folks! Let's give it all out for Alex!"

The crowd once again crazily cheered. Nico and Pedro patted my shoulders and wished me good luck. Once they left, the lights around dimmed and a bright spotlight was pointed at me and the birds with the instruments. 'Here it goes...' I thought nervously.

**(Guitar Solo Intro...)**

**(Guitar Solo with Drum beating)  
><strong>

**I can see the path you're cutting**,  
><strong>It costs me a little piece of my heart<strong>.  
><strong>I can see the doors you're shutting<strong>,  
><strong>Cause they were open at the start<strong>.

**Baby loving you has been hard on me**.  
><strong>You're such a tough little sister<strong>  
><strong>Just looking for Mr. Right<strong>  
><strong>On the wrong side of town<strong>

**(Chorus)  
><strong>

**You better love somebody. It's late.**  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't wait.<strong>  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't tempt fate.<strong>  
><strong>You're gonna push it just a little too far...<strong>

**One night.**

**(Guitar Solo with Drum Beating)**

**Your eyes are wild, your skin's so white**.  
><strong>You're undernourished and overfed<strong>.  
><strong>She's got the teeth. She knows how to bite<strong>.  
><strong>'Cause when you bit I bled<strong>.

**You got some perfect image o****f the perfect man**.  
><strong>You're a tough little sister<strong>  
><strong>But you'll settle for a mister tonight<strong>**.**  
><strong>But you're running out of time<strong>**...**

**(Chorus)**

**You better love somebody. It's late.**  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't wait.<strong>  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't tempt fate.<strong>  
><strong>You're gonna push it just a little too far...<strong>

**One night.**

**I'm only saying what I feel****...**  
><strong>You think I'm wrong, I know<strong>**!**  
><strong>You thought I was sleeping at the wheel<strong>**...**  
><strong>I thought that you were driving!<strong>

**(Epic Guitar Solo with Drum Beating)**

**(Epic Guitar Solo)**

**You better love somebody...**  
><strong>You better love somebody...<strong>

**(Chorus)**

**You better love somebody. It's late.**  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't wait.<strong>  
><strong>You better love somebody. Don't tempt fate.<strong>  
><strong>You're gonna push it just a little too far...<strong>

**One night**.**  
><strong>

With that, the crowd started cheering their lungs out. I never knew I could sing so well! I thought for sure that I was going to be horrible! But no! I actually sang properly! Wow!

I smiled at the crowd as they cheered. I even saw the other guys by the bar cheering and doing wing signals. I think I even heard Nigel say, "Absolutely brilliant, Alex! So astounding!"

This felt so good! If only my other friends were here to see this. Like Lorenzo and Charlene; the macaws that I met on the plane when we were still on our way here.

Nico and Pedro went up on stage and I moved from the mic. spot. "Ha ha ha! *Sintonia maravilhosa, Alex! The crowd loves you!"

"Ha ha! That was fun! I really enjoyed this opportunity!"

**A few minutes later, by the bar...  
><strong>

"Now that wasn't so exhilarating, was it?"

"No, Nigel. It wasn't."

We were drinking as celebration for my talent discovery and just for the heck of it. Nigel and I were drinking beer. Blu, Jewel, Sylvia and Eva were drinking champagne. The kids were drinking Long Island Iced Tea.

Normally, I don't drink, as Dexter would obviously not allow me. But luckily I have a naturally high tolerance for alcohol. I know beer's not really strong, but heck! Some people get drunk from these beverages.

I placed my wing on my waist and took a swig from the bottle. But then I noticed something weird on my waist. It felt like something was missing. I put the bottle on the counter and looked at my waist. I was surprised to find out that my belt wasn't on. I must have forgotten it back in the hollow. "Oops! I forgot my belt."

"Aw, remove your mind of that belt of yours for once, Alex. Enjoy yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Nigel. But that belt has most of my stuff in it. I'll be right back ASAP, alright?"

**As soon as Alex left the club...  
><strong>

**Blu's POV**

"You know you're gonna have to tell him." Jewel said as she sipped her glass of sparkling champagne.

"I know, Jewel. But I'm scared. I don't want to depress him."

"Well, you're gonna have to deal with that. It's better that he finds out about this sooner than later." She said as she went towards Nigel. Oh... Do I really have to do all of this myself?

**Jewel's POV  
><strong>

I just remembered the kids had fun with Nigel and Alex the other day. Perhaps I could take him up on an offer. I went over to Nigel as soon as I was done talking with Blu. "Hey, Nigel!"

He turned to me and greeted me back. "Salutations, my dear Jewel. Is there something you would like to converse about?"

"Um, yes. You see, yesterday, I noticed that the kids like you and Alex. But since he's leaving I thought I could ask you instead. I thought that if you would like to be with them, the best time is when they're alone."

Nigel arched an eyebrow in confusion. Was my statement not clear enough? "My apologies, Jewel. But I think you lost me there. What do you mean "when they're alone"?"

"I meant to say that when we're not around and they need to be watched over, you could do it. Eva already has a lot in her hands to take care of and I feel bad for her, especially if I have to add to the burden. So... would you like to be their babysitter?"

Once I said "babysitter", Nigel's expression immediately lit up like he was rocketed to his favorite place on Earth. "R-really? You want ME to be your offspring's chaperone when you're not around?"

I smiled at his excitement. He looks so heart-warming when he smiles. I mean, he's evil before. But now he's not. It's amazing. "I don't see why not."

This made Nigel cheer in happiness. He didn't need to feel embarrassed that he cheered out loud because the loud music that was playing suppressed his voice. "YES! YEEEEES! I give you my thanks, Jewel! I accept the offer! I would love to accompany your children in your and your mate's absence!"

"YAY! UNCLE NIGEL'S GONNA BE OUR BABYSITTER!" My children cheered and rounded up on Nigel. They all pounced on Nigel at once but he was able to catch all three of them.

"Ha ha! Yes! Uncle Nigel will watch over you when your parents are not around." He said as he hugged all three of them. Wow. I guess I made the right choice of giving him my trust after all.

* * *

><p>Some party, huh? Everyone seems to be in a happy mood... But after hearing noticing what Blu and Jewel were talking about, they all wouldn't be happy for long...<p>

Diego and Gregorio have already reached the jungle premises long before Alex started singing. Will they really follow their diabolical plan that's sure to cause a lot of damage?

* * *

><p>Section 4: Framed<p>

**Rafael's POV**

Aw, man! Where did I put that thing? I can't believe I lost it! My manually made necklace for Eva! Where could I have put that thing? "Damn it! Where is it? If I hadn't lost that necklace, I would not have missed Alex's karaoke moment! He's probably done by now!"

I looked underneath the nest. I looked into of the hollow's holes that served as a small shelf for various stuff. And still... nothing!

(Sudden leaf rustling...)

"(GASP!)"

I gasped as I turned around. I heard leaves rustling. It's not even windy tonight. Someone's out there. I'm sure of it. "H-hello? Is someone there?"

No answer.

"Hello?"

Still no answer. I was slowly getting scared. I swear I felt my back feathers erecting. "I-if this is some kind of joke guys, it ain't funny!"

All of a sudden, I heard wing-flapping. And it sounded like heavy wings. That can't be Alex. He wouldn't play a joke like that.

With the chills running down my spine, I slowly went towards the hollow's exit. It was kind of dark outside, since our tree was in front of another tree. And it was already night time. "Alex? Guys?"

It took me about 5 minutes to get to the exit. I poked my head out and looked around my surroundings. There was nothing. No birds. No other animals. Nothing. Not even the presence of wind. I guess it was just me. I kinda found it funny that I actually thought about that. "He he. Must be my imaginato-(SMACK!)"

I don't know what hit me but whatever hit me sent me reeling to the very end of the hollow. I felt my back slam into the cold wall as well as gut-wrenching pain on my stomach. I tried to get up as soon as I slid to the floor, but the pain was so intolerable. I placed my right wing over my stomach to try and ease the pain. I felt like vomiting! "Uuuugh... Damn it! What the Hell was that?"

I kept my focus on the hollow's exit and there appeared two shadows. Their green eyes glowed in the darkness of the hollow. "W-who are you guys? W-what do you want with me?"

They didn't answer, but instead walked towards me. The bigger one, who was in front of me now, planted his foot on my body. I felt his talons prick through my feathers and thus penetrating my skin. "Aaaugh! Please, stop! What do you want with me!"

Again, he didn't answer. Instead, he removed his foot, grabbed me by the head and pulled me away from the wall. He then threw me to my right. My head mostly took the impact when I hit the wall again. I was feeling very dizzy and I felt so much pain surging through my body. I was too weak to ask again why they were doing this to me.

My best chance to get away from these guys is to crawl away. But before I can even do so, both of them surrounded me and started pounding me to the ground. Every part of me felt so painful. Kicks or scratches were delivered to my being. I knew that this was the end of me. I already felt myself slowly blacking out. The only things I could hear from them are devilish chuckles. Why were they doing this to me?

The last thing I felt was a very powerful kick to the face before I completely blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the club...<br>**

**Blu's POV**

What's taking long for Rafael? He should have been here before Alex started singing. "Eva? What's Rafael doing exactly?"

"I don't know. He said he'd follow shortly after we left the hollow. He's probably looking for something important."

Important, eh? I might as well help him out. "Alright. I'm going to your hollow and see if he's still there."

"I'll come with you. The others would probably also want to tag along." Eva said after she gulped down her champagne.

**A few minutes later...  
><strong>

**Alex's POV**

Where did they go? I just went to get my belt and now they're gone. Where could they have gone to? I better ask around.

I went into the dancing crowd and started with a Scarlet Macaw who was in front of me. "Um, excuse me, miss. Have you seen Blu?"

"Oh, he and his friends and family left to look for Rafael. Strange though. He never misses party time. Eva and the kids was here, so it's strange that Rafael wasn't around. That's usually his ticket out of his hollow."

"Alright. Thank you."

I then went towards the exit and took to the skies. From what I understood from the female Scarlet Macaw, Rafael is most likely to go to the club if Eva and their kids are there. But he wasn't there. It's either he had to settle something or something bad happened to him and obviously, I do not wish for the 2nd probability to occur.

"I hope you're okay, Raf."

It took me about 7 minutes to get to their hollow, and pretty much, I saw everyone there. They looked worried. What could have happened?

I landed on the rim of the hollow's entrance and immediately went in. In the middle of the hollow, I saw... Rafael. He was beaten very badly. He had scratches all around him and his face was bruised up. Eva was softly weeping while resting her head on his chest. Blu was right in front of me. His back was turned against me as he was inspecting Rafael's wounds. "How did that happen to him?"

Everyone looked at me with very worried expressions. Even Nigel had it on. I don't know what was going on. "How could you?" Blu said with his back still turned.

"W-what?"

"HOW COULD YOU, YOU BASTARD!" He yelled as he turned to face me. His face had extreme anger written all over them.

"Wha- What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!"

"That's what you think, Alex! But look what you left behind!"

He then stuck out his wing and he had a few feathers in his grasp. But when I examined them, they weren't someone else's feathers.

They were MY feathers.

* * *

><p>*Pregnancy Prevention Tool (Leaf): If I remember correctly, that was Corration's idea. So credit goes to him on that part of the story.<p>

*Sintonia maravilhosa: Marvelous tune

Author's Note: Phew! This is definitely the juiciest chapter I have ever composed. 10,000 + words... Wow...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be juicy as well. I'm not sure though, if it will be as juicy as this. But rest assured that you will enjoy the rest of the upcoming chapters. This story is almost at its end, so I'll be sure to make it rather enjoyable! XD

Reviews are greatly appreciated. If there's something odd that I missed, give me the heads-up and I'll see it through.

Thank you very much! :D


	17. Broken, Fixed and Caught: Part 1

Author's Note: Hello again! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! And I have to say, that my depression on my uncle's death went away while I was writing that. Now, I've gotten over it. Still, may he rest in peace. :)

Anyway, this chapter might not be as juicy as the other. But I will do my best to make this juicy and to make sure that you enjoy. This story is almost at its end, just like I mentioned in the previous chapter. All we have to go through now is a big chunk of the main conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action and then the end. XD

So, let's get this on! :D

Chapter 17: Broken, Fixed and Caught; Part 1

* * *

><p>Broken, Fixed and Caught<p>

Part 1

Uh-oh! This scene doesn't look pretty! Blu and Alex might get into an ugly quarrel. And due to the increasing anger between the two, the revelation of Alex's blurry past may occur. But this fight is pointless! This isn't his fault! How is he going to convince him that he has nothing to do with Rafael's severe injuries?

And who is watching them as they argue?

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

How the Hell did my feathers get here? I didn't even shed any when I paid them a visit! Hell, I didn't even come here today! "Blu! I swear! I have nothing to do with this! You have to believe me!"

"And just how can I believe you? These are YOUR feathers!" He bellowed as he threw the feathers to my face. I flinched in the resulting action. No one ever did that to me! God, I hope this doesn't result to an ugly fight.

I didn't want to get angry. I didn't want to lose my cool. In order for me to solve this problem without any other worries, I just have to stay calm. So, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I even tried to form a smile. "Look. Blu. Let's get one thing straight. I did NOT do that to Rafael."

I expected him to give up on blaming me because I kept pointing out my same reasons. I know some liars would do the same, but knowing myself, I'm not a liar. At least not habitually. I only lie when I know that I have to.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he didn't. He sneered at me once he paced towards me. Our beaks were face-to-face. I couldn't help but sneer too. My anger was slowly rising to the tip of my iceberg. Once it reaches the tip, the iceberg in me melts and I'll completely lose my cool. "Believe me, Blu. I did not do that to him. Think about it. Do you really think that me, an eagle who would never hurt anyone unless necessary, would do that? Especially to a friend?"

"Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you would. But any other reason you throw will be proven futile. The feathers we found here are no doubt, yours."

"Tch! So... that's it then. You don't believe me. I'm not your friend anymore, huh?" I said as I slowly backed away.

"I completely lost my faith in you ever since I saw your feathers next to Rafael's body."

Deep inside, I was already very angry, at the same time very saddened. In my whole stay here, Blu has really been a friend to me. Everyone I met, excluding Kipo, Diego and Gregorio, has been my great friends. But now, because of whoever planted those feathers next to Rafael, everyone sees me as nothing but a mere backstabber. A disavowed friend. I know that I wasn't responsible for his unfortunate outcome. Someone else did this. But who?

Feeling deeply hurt, I prepared to leave. I'm very sure that no one wants me here anymore. "Alright then. I'll leave. And I'll never come back." I tried to hold back the tears as I said that. All my fun moments with my friends; shattered into nothing but dust.

I turned around and slowly walked my way to the hollow's exit. But I was then stopped by Blu. "Before you take your departure, there's something you need to know."

I didn't answer, but I did turn around. However, when I turned around, I came face-to-face with a white object that had stuff written on it. It was a piece of paper. I took it in a snap and set my eyes on it. As I scanned it, I felt my angered and saddened expression loosen to more of a shocked expression, as I came to realize that this was no ordinary piece of paper. It was the code sheet. And it seems that it had already been deciphered.

"I took it from under your nest last night and solved it for you. Read it."

I glared a bit at him, but I let it go and started to read the piece of paper.

**From Dexter's note...**

"Alex, my dear friend, there's something that you should've known a long time ago. I did not find you in an animal rescue center. I found you in a burning forest. I don't know about your father or your sibling (if you ever had one), but... You were underneath your mother. She was dead when I and my team got there. A branch was sticking through her body and you were covered in her blood. With the way she was covering you, she was trying to protect you."

"I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I hid the truth from you. I just didn't want you to get hurt by the fact that you'll never see your mother again. Get mad at me, if you wish. I just hope that somewhere in your heart, you understand why I did such a thing and that we can still be buddies. I just wanted to protect you from the painful truth."

From your buddy, Dexter E.

**End of note...**

Dexter... he... he hid the truth from me. He lied to me. My mother... she died when I was still an infant. I was never found in an animal rescue center. I was an adopted orphan.

Loads of tears were ready to burst from my eyes. But before anything else happened, my eyes widened and I gasped as a memorial spark of light flashed before me.

**18 years ago...  
><strong>

**Narrator's POV  
><strong>

December 13, 1993: Alex's heavy family loss

As the father and the daughter fell into the blazing remnants of fallen trees and disintegrated bushes, Freedom could not help but watch them. Fear and sadness forced her to take in the sight of her mate and daughter's deaths.

It was a very painful sight. But luckily, Freedom liberated herself from the negative traits' grasp and held on to her son, Alex. While holding him in one wing, she took careful steps on the branches that were still intact on their once-strong tree.

Once she got down, she took a look at her ash-stained son. He was weeping very hard, not just because of the unbearable tension going around them, but also because of his father and sister's deaths. It was amazing that such a young eagle could already register the visual material that's being presented to him. But in time, he will forget what had happened as his brain is not yet ready to hold such information for a prolonged amount of time unless the actual truth is revealed.

Seeing her own son cry so hard was painful. Losing a couple of her loved ones... That was already bad enough to make someone commit suicide. But this... this was too much already.

Freedom was extremely saddened, but quickly threw the negative feelings aside and gained loads of determination to get the both of them out of the once-beautiful-but-now-ablazed pine forest of Moose Lake.

Looking deep into her son's watery crimson eyes, she said, "Don't worry, Alex. I'll get us out of this mess."

She then stood up, kept Alex in one wing and took off.

There was no use flying as the area-engulfing canopy was set ablaze. Doing so would only kill them. Running was the only option left, since there were still parts of the ground that had not yet been covered by the devil's tongues.

As she ran, she dodged the falling debris which composed mainly of leaves and small branches; the ones that still aren't enough to crush even a juvenile eagle. But the biggest dangers from the falling debris were the big branches. And we're not talking about ordinary big branches. We're talking about REALLY BIG branches. Pine trees naturally form really big and long branches as they grow.

It had been about 5 minutes since she started running, but the areas around her were being engulfed by the flames. It was as if the flames were chasing after her. "Damn it! When will this end?"

When in times that she was about to be fully surrounded by fire, luck had come in to save her and her son by allowing an allotted space to appear for them to jump through. But now, luck had not answered the mother eagle's mental call for assistance. This time, they were surrounded, with no means of escape. They can't fly their way out, and now they can't run their way out.

All the remaining droplets of hope have now evaporated. Freedom is the type of female that doesn't believe in the phrase "Give up", at least not when giving up seems to be only option left. But in their current situation, giving up seems to be the only thing left to do. Death had already played his card and has sealed the fates of the two helpless eagles.

Knowing that this is the last moment that Freedom will ever have with Alex, she stood in the middle of the flames as she gazes upon her son with caring eyes. Alex has never learned how to speak. She never heard him say the three words that always warms her up. The words that said when connected correctly, "I love you".

"If only fate wasn't this cruel..." She muttered while caressing Alex's ashen head.

However, little did they know that fate had something else in store for the two.

Freedom noticed Alex's eyes dilate as an audible snap sounded through their hearing systems. Once she looked above her, she realized that death has finally arrived to take them away. A large branch, which had a sharp end pointing directly at them began to fall.

Freedom didn't want her son's life to be taken away. Death may take her life, just not his son's life.

As a last resort to try and save Alex from the hands of death, she knelt down, set Alex down on the ash-contaminated snowy surface and covered him with her entire body.

It only took a few seconds until the branch protruded the mother's back and which the tip exited through her chest. Copious amounts of blood splattered all over the infant eagle's being.

As the sharp waves of pain surged through her body and the flames' roars deafening her, she managed to hear distant sounds. They sounded like sirens. The human fire-fighters were coming.

Gathering the last amount of strength she had, she managed to say her last words. "Alex, do not have fear anymore. The humans are here. They'll help you... Urgh... Remember this, Alex: I love you. Your father loved you, and so did your sister. Be strong. And be grateful for the one who'll rescue you from all this."

**Back to reality...**

The note made me remember everything. My father... my sister... falling to their deaths. My... my mother... her blood splattering all over me. All of the emotions gathering inside me... it's making me feel dizzy. Tears were slowly dripping from my eyes. I could have taken this a little lightly if Dexter told me about this a long time ago.

"And you know what, Alex? I think your mother would be ashamed of you if she sees this. Heck! It's actually good that she's gone so that she wouldn't have to live with the fact that you are nothing but a backstabber!"

"... What?" I did not just hear him say that. That was extremely offending! I even gave him a death glare! A glare that I would only give to individuals I hellishly hate!

And Blu just stood there like he didn't care about his words! That... that was obviously not likely of him to say and do! Oh, this is really going to get ugly. If he wants a fight, then he's gonna get one. "The reason why my mother died for me is because she loved me! And she knows that I would never do something as stupid, unrighteous and shameful as this! You know nothing about her and the rest of my family!"

"Then why would you do this?"

I abruptly paced towards him and prodded his chest with my feather like a finger. "I already damn well told you. I. Did. Not. Do this to him!"

"PROVE IT!"

The iceberg of control already melted inside me ever since I finished reading Dexter's note. I was already on the verge of strangling Blu. In fact, I was actually about to do just that, but my conscience instructed me not to do so. After taking a final glance of anger and sadness at my "dead friend", I immediately turned around and flew out of the hollow; never to return.

* * *

><p>The very thought of my dead family and my broken friendships forced me to cry. Never had I been this angry and depressed in my life. My heart started to crumble into dust. In my mind, all the faces of the ones that I have come to know and befriend here in Rio slowly disappeared. My friendship bonds with them have been broken, and so has my sanity... at least that's what I think. Such an event could make you do so, if you are the type of person who is easily penetrated by such things.<p>

I guess my time here in Rio is up. So close to forming a friendship bond that's supposed to last a lifetime, yet so far. I don't know if I'll ever be able to flash the same smile I always wear. So much has happened to me tonight. They were all heavy and I couldn't tolerate the weight of the misery those two events brought me.

Once I get back to the United States, I'll have to make sure that any memorial trace of Blu, Nigel, Jewel, Rafael, Eva, Sylvia and everyone else I have befriended, has been forgotten. They won't be needing to remember me since they now see me as a backstabber.

* * *

><p><strong>Jewel's POV<strong>

"Blu! I cannot believe what you just did!"

"Don't tell me you're on HIS side! These feathers tell us everything! Alex is nothing but a no-good backstabber! Diego's right! What he said in the story that Sylvia mentioned is true! The moment you trust someone, he or she eventually stab you in the back! And Alex is one of those backstabbers!"

As silly as it may sound, this bird needed some hard spanking in the ass! And I'll be the one to do the job, since Linda's not here. "Look, Blu. I don't want to go all out on this matter, since the kids are here. So I'll just be calm about this."

"Okay. Make your statement." He scoffed as he crossed his wings.

I slowly went towards him and made sure that he was well within range with me. "How could you have the guts to say something like that? He just found out that his family's dead. And then you insult him about that? That's not likely of you, Blu."

I expected him to reply, but he just stood there with the same stressed look on his face. Why is he not realizing what he just did? Because of his argument with Alex, the kids were freaked out and Nigel's trying to calm all of them down. Yes, that includes Rafael and Eva's kids. It's amazing Nigel can cope with all of them.

"Ugh! Oh! Children, please! Calm down! You're getting all over me- Woah! Wooaah! (THUD)"

Okay... Maybe not so good. Anyway, other than that, Blu really deserves an ass kicking right about now.

"Mmmm..."

"Raffy? Oh, my sweet papaya! Are you okay?"

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV<br>**

It's a good thing Rafael's still functioning well. His scratches were really long but they weren't deep enough to be severe. He had plenty of bruises though. The biggest bruise he had was under his beak going to his neck.

"Ugh... Man, that was some beatin'." Rafael muttered in an exhausted and weakened state. Yeah, he sure was beaten, alright. I have to admit, Alex really did leave him in bad shape.

Jewel went over to him and knelt down right next to him. "Rafael. Can you tell us who did this to you? When we got here, we found Alex's feathers next to your body. Now, I know this might sound crazy, but... Did Alex do this to you?"

I wanted to tell all of them for the final time that it was really him who did it, but since Rafael's awake, I figured that maybe we should just get the answers from him. I just hope that my answer's correct. Because if it wasn't, then I just insulted Alex and ostracized him for nothing. And I'd be feeling extremely guilty.

After hearing Jewel's question, Rafael looked confused. "Alex? No! Why on Earth would he do this to me? Huh! I may be getting old, but those two big guys didn't do well enough to make me lose my memory and-"

My eyes widened in worry when he mentioned that. Two big guys? Oh no... I didn't... I did not just kill my friendship with Alex. Did I? "Wait. Two big guys?"

"Yeah. They both had green eyes. If one of them was Alex, then I should've seen a pair of red eyes."

Oh, God. I was wrong. Alex is innocent! He was telling the truth all the time and I didn't give a damn! Oh, no! What have I done...

I felt tears forming in my eyes. I just broke Alex into a million pieces. How can I forgive myself? Now everyone was looking at me with a slightly angered look. "I... Oh, God... What have I done..."

I felt like my body couldn't move. The guilt had really screwed me up.

But then suddenly, I just got an idea! And I better put it into motion now before Alex leaves!

Without thinking twice, I turned to face the hollow's exit and ran for it. I'm going to find Alex and make it up to him.

However, once I flew out of the hollow, I heard Jewel scream for my attention. "Blu! Where the Hell do you think you're going!"

"I'm going to find Alex! I have to apologize to him!"

As I flew, I made a solemn vow that I will find him, and make sure that he leaves Rio with our friendship bonds still intact! I got him and myself into this mess. And I'm going to get us out of it!

* * *

><p>In the shadows, two creatures were watching the whole scene unfold. One of them, the big one, chuckled at Alex's misery as he flew off. He thought about going after him immediately, but decided that it's best to wait for the blue male macaw to follow him. He knew very well that all of them would find out that Alex is truly innocent. And he just got lucky too, because after a few more minutes of watching, the blue male flew out and told his mate that he was going to find Alex.<p>

"He he he... Gregorio... It is time."

"All according to plan."

"That's right, brother. I'm going after Alex and his blue friend, Blu. You, on the other hand, neutralize all of the distractions and capture Sylvia. Make sure that you don't kill her."

"Of course, Diego. It would be boring if we only had one patron screaming in pain, no?"

"Ha ha! That's my brother."

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<br>**

Damn it... I think I got myself lost. I don't know where I am. Man... I guess I was too depressed to take note of where I was going. I wasn't even flying anymore. I decided to walk instead. It came to my mind that taking my time to get to the hotel would help me get rid of my memories here. They weren't worth keeping anymore since they aren't my friends anymore.

"(Sighs) I just want to go home."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Alex!"

I don't know who was calling me, but I decided to ignore it. It didn't sound like the caller was in trouble anyway.

"..."

"..."

"ALEX!"

Wait a minute... That voice... Blu?

"Alex, wait!"

I turned around to see if it really was Blu, and sure enough, it was. Why'd he follow me? "What do you want, Blu? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

He didn't seem angry anymore. He looked sad. "I take all of that back. I was wrong. You... You were telling the truth."

I didn't reply, but I was willing to listen to what he had to say. So I just crossed my wings and looked at him with a blank expression.

"I was a fool to think that you did that. When Rafael woke up, he told us that you didn't beat him up. Two other guys did it. Green-eyed guys. Oh, Alex. I'm... I'm sorry..."

After his explanation, he began to cry. "I'm sorry for accusing you, Alex. And... I'm also sorry for insulting you and your family."

I just stared at him as he cried. And boy, his crying had a lot of meaning and truth in it. He really is sorry for what he said back there. Honestly speaking, I felt my heart sink at the sight. Even after what happened back there, Blu is still my friend. I know I said that I wanted to get rid of all the memorial traces they left in my head once I get home. But that was a lie. I wanted to keep them in my mind and heart forever.

Aww, Hell... even I felt like crying.

"Aww, Blu... It's alright. C'mere, you!"

Pretty soon, we both engaged in a bud-hug. We hugged each other as tight as we could handle. As I had him in my wings, I felt his tears drenching my feathers. But that's alright. Those were the tears of joy-turned sorrow. I'm glad that we're cool again. "I'm sorry, Alex. I really am. (Discreet sobbing)"

"(SNIFF) It's alright, buddy. It's all good."

I'm glad things were back to the way they were. My family being dead may be the most saddening news I have ever heard, but you know what people say: One must move on. And I realized that I must move on.

"He he he..."

What the? Did someone just chuckle? Clearly it wasn't Blu or me. With Blu still in my wings, I lifted my head and looked at him. "Um, Blu? Did you hear something? Like a chuckle?"

"Chuckle? What chuckle?"

I was about to clarify what I meant, but then I noticed something odd on my wing. It looked like a red dot. W-wait. Wait a minute... That's a- "Shit! Get down!"

I pushed Blu with enough force to put him to the ground, while I jumped away. "(BANG!)"

Crap! That was a laser sight pointing at us! And the shooter nearly got us! "Damn it! You just won't let death get you, huh?"

I know that voice. I didn't like the sound of it too. "Up here, fools."

Me and Blu looked above us and we saw something gleaming due to the moonlight. It looked like whoever said those things was wearing something metal. But... I only realized who he was when he jumped down.

It was Diego. He had metal pads on his legs, his back and chest. He had a Dragunov Sniper Rifle in hand, and... a utility belt? "Ha ha! You didn't expect that, did ya? You're not the only one who has a belt like this."

"Damn it, Diego! I should have known!"

"Ugh... That's Diego? The guy who shot Sylvia with that thing? Oh, we are doomed!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry of it wasn't juicy or detailed enough. I got sleepy while writing this. But now it's all understood. :)<p>

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! A few more are on their way, so keep on the lookout! And this time, they'll be juicy with action, some drama and of course happiness! :D

Reviews are greatly appreciated! If you spot any oddities that I missed, you know what to do! XD

I will catch you all again in the next chapters! See you all real soon! :)


	18. Broken, Fixed and Caught: Part 2

Author's Note: About the previous chapter... my apologies if it wasn't really much. And I guess I made Blu go over the line back there. I know most of you expected Jewel to be the one to lose control but I just thought that maybe it would be different if Blu did it instead.

But, as I can see right now, it is honestly difficult to put his anger at the right level. However, I'm still happy that you enjoyed it. :)

And a quick reminder: For those who are wondering about the minor swearing and suggestive speeches and themes, I'll say it one more time. This story is true to the characters' emotions. The only missing element that would make this story an "M"-rated story is the "F" word and a bunch of other stuff. ;)

Anyway, that was the first part. I planned that there should be a part 2 for you-know-who, involving her brothers.

So without any further delays, I give you all... Chapter 18: Broken, Fixed and Caught; Part 2

* * *

><p>Broken, Fixed and Caught<p>

Part 2

It's good to see that Alex and Blu finally rebuilt their friendship bond, and that he decided to move on and get over his family's death. However, just when things were getting back to normal, an unwanted interruption- No. Make that TWO unwanted interruptions, are about to wreak havoc and dismantle the barely-rebuilt peace. As if things weren't bad enough for them already...

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV<strong>

It didn't take long before the two eagles engaged in a grueling fight. Punches were thrown. Kicks were exchanged. One tried to grapple the other. Bullets whizzed past each other as they tried to immediately put each other down as they dodged.

Even with the metal plating on, Diego still had his stamina levels up. The fight hasn't lasted long, but Alex was already exhausted, bruised and a bit bloodied up. He was still standing, but it looked like he wanted to get on his knees. He was breathing heavily and I was sure that his heart was pumping at an increased rate. It's clear that he isn't ready to take him on yet.

Feeling victorious, he paced towards Alex and grabbed him by the head. He then gripped hard on his head feathers like he was pulling hair and forced it down; causing Alex to growl in pain. "What's the matter, Alex? Tired already? Ha ha! Too bad for you!"

His taunting angered him, but making another attempt to struggle from his tight grip was futile. Soon, he was brutally socked in the face multiple times by Diego's free wing, therefore forming a small crack on the front part of his beak and knocking him out cold; accompanied by a small stream of blood oozing from his nostrils.

I, who was still on the ground, was petrified by the sight. The fight hasn't even lasted for 6 minutes and Diego already knocked the wind out of Alex. I could even see an evil smile creep on his face as he looked at Alex's miserable shape. "I... I can't believe you."

Upon hearing my frightened voice, Diego slowly turned his head to face me; still wearing the evil smile. "I expected much more from him. But it turns out that he was nothing." A loud thump sounded off as he dropped Alex's unconscious body to the ground. "Nothing more than a mere pet who's never killed a damn soul."

I was too scared to make a move. All I did was slowly back away from this evil guy. I can't believe Sylvia grew up with him. If only she was able to escape when she was still younger... "What good so you see in this guy? He lived his life in a cage. The ever-so-popular White House of Washington, D.C. is his home. Sure, he has access to many things we ordinary birds don't usually see. But has he ever pointed a gun at someone? Someone other than me?"

I couldn't say a word. But I could fully understand what he was saying. His point is this: Alex would never point a gun at anyone unless it was necessary. He would only hurt individuals that try to hurt him, as an act of instinctive self-defense. He's not nothing. He's an American Bald Eagle who has power that rarely any other bird has, but is very responsible about it and would only use it when necessary.

And... And I'm just sitting here; doing nothing and listening to him insulting my injured friend! He's gonna pay for what he did! "No... He isn't nothing. He's a responsible American eagle who knows how to use the power that no other run-off-the-mill birds posses. And you're not an ordinary bird. You're a monster who abuses that power."

"Huh! And I don't suppose you know how it's like to live in a cage."

"As a matter of fact, I do. I've happily lived in one under the care of my human companion, when we were still in Minnesota."

I gave him the glare that I never usually put on. I gave him the gaze of sure death. But he wasn't taken aback. He sneered back in retaliation, but then reformed his smile. "Oh, by the way. Before things get any uglier, let me give you the heads-up on your big-nosed friend. I and my brother were responsible for his injuries. Those feathers you found? Yes, they belonged to Alex. But I ripped them off of him during our first encounter and planned to use it against him."

Hearing the truth made my blood boil. I got mad at Alex because of this jerk. My glare hardened. I honestly wanted to torture this guy!

"What? You think you have what it takes to bring me down?"

"No... BUT I COULD AT LEAST TRY!"

And with that, I quickly stood up and lunged towards him. He's going to pay for all the things he did, especially for hurting my friend! "RARGH!"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

**Gregorio's POV  
><strong>

I had them all backed against the hollow. I even threatened the kids to stay out of the way if they didn't want to get any boo-boos. No, let me say it in my natural, violent way. I even threatened all of the kids to get the hell out of the way if they didn't want any bullets in their brains.

"Listen! All of you! I'm only here for Sylvia! If any of you don't want to get shot..." I cocked up my H&K MP5A2 and pointed it at all of them as a my threat. "... just let me do my business, then I'll be on my way."

I expected everyone to cower in fear, but a white bird stood up for the rest. It was Nigel. He had better not try anything funny, otherwise I'm gonna make him regret that he changed into a no-good protagonist in this part of his life. "I'm afraid your business will do no good here. We don't want any trouble, so please leave before you yourself will be the defunct individual."

Of course, I got angered by his arrogance. But I didn't want to ruin the moment, so I just stood my ground with my gun pointed at him. "Really now? And who will be the one to ensure of that probability, hmm? I wouldn't suppose YOU would do such."

I kept my eyes on him for the time being, until I noticed that he gave me a grin of mischief. I didn't like the looks of that, so I made sure that I kept a feather prepared to pull the trigger. "Aye, but my will and faith for my new friends has consolidated them as it has done the same for me. Nevertheless, your guess is correct."

Him? Overthrowing me? Ha! That's a laugh! I couldn't help but smile wickedly. "Try me then."

And with that, Nigel charged towards me with a roar of fury. "RARGH!"

How idiotic can he get? I thought he was smart? Well, I might as well forget about it. I already pulled the trigger anyway. "(RATATAT!) GAH!"

The rest of the frightened birds shrieked in fear when I fired. Mostly the kids. Before Nigel could even tackle me, I shot three bullets into him, which made him lose his path and stumble to the nest in front of me with a thud. I smiled at his miserable shape. I wanted to laugh too, but I decided to save it for later.

Nigel groaned in pain as he held onto his bleeding stomach. His eyes were closed and his beak halves were gnashed together as he tried to take the pain away. "Nnngghh... Bollocks... I forgot about that gun..."

"You don't say..."

I then looked at the rest of the fearful fools with my wicked smile still on. Among all of them, Sylvia was my main interest. I already told her friends that if they let me take her, no one would get hurt. But no! One tried to resist, and he got hurt. If any more of her friends would do the same, then I might as well kill all of them. "Now your friends know what will happen if they screw my time up. Surrender yourself to me now, and they won't get hurt anymore. Deal?"

**Sylvia's POV**

Damn it! What choice do I have? I don't want to go with him and Diego! But if I resist, my friends would just get hurt. I don't want them to get hurt. They have no involvements in my situation. So... I have no choice. I must give in to Gregorio.

I slowly stepped forward and admitted my defeat. "Okay, Gregorio. You can have me."

"Yes. There we go. That wasn't so hard, now was it?" He said with a devilish smile. I just glared at him but I didn't dare to try anything.

He removed his wing from the body of his gun and stretched it forward to me. I slowly reached out to it and he gently grabbed it and calmly pulled me in. By the time I was by at side, he looked at everyone and said, "Now don't even try to follow us or call for help. Otherwise, you'd end up like your friend there." He said as he pointed his gun at Nigel.

They all pointed their eyes at the injured Cockatoo, who was silently moaning in pain and still holding on to his wound. I'm pretty sure that Gregorio's message registered in their minds already. They obviously don't want to get shot.

However, Jewel and Eva looked like they weren't going to take this easily. They wanted to fight back. Aaaand... my hunch was right. Eva though, was the first to protest. "Hey! Don't you dare lay a feather on her!"

I know that deep inside Gregorio, he wanted to kill all of them anyway. His face tells it all. I just hope that Eva and Jewel don't go too far with their defense. "What happens if I do?"

And this is when Jewel come in. "If you do, we'll make sure that you regret your choice of ever coming here!"

"He he... Really? Well, I just came here for my sister. But then again... the rest of you are now her friends. Maybe..."

All of a sudden, I felt Gregorio's wing push me towards them, making me stumble next to Nigel. It didn't take me long to recuperate and face him though. But when I faced him, I saw him holding something in his right wing. It... It looked like a... Oh, no. He's not thinking about doing that, is he? "I might as well put you all to sleep."

(CHINK!... Pssssssssshhhh)

* * *

><p><strong>Diego's POV<strong>

I thought Blu would be a challenge. But boy was I wrong. He was easy as pie. The only thing that actually impressed me was his persistence. No matter how bruised and bloodied he gets, he still tries to get at me. Well, I can see that all of his efforts were to no avail. Like Alex, he's just a weak, idiotic pet who's lived a majority of his life in a cage. I know I, my brother, and... dare I say it... my sister lived through life in cages too, but we were more exposed to the outside world than them.

And here they are; lying injured and unconscious right in front of me. "You two are nothing. You're just pawns on my opposite side of the chessboard. There is no leader in your side. The only leader in this board of life... is me."

I smiled as I stared at my handy work. Things weren't really going how I expected it to be, but now that I have Alex, I could kill him. But wait... His friend is here, and he's just an extra in my plans. Perhaps I could make him join the party, and force him to stare at Alex and Sylvia'a suffering. Yes... That would work!

"Diego!"

I looked behind me to see who was calling me, and I found Gregorio flying his way here with Sylvia in his grasp. He seemed to be in one piece, but what caught my attention was the worn-out-but-still-functional gas mask attached to his face. But other than that, I was proud to see that he had Sylvia. I just hope he didn't kill her. "Hello, brother. What's with the mask?"

Once he neared me, he dropped Sylvia to the ground in front of me. "I used the home-made knock-out gas grenade that we developed a couple of months ago. It turned out to be pretty useful. It knocked Sylvia and her friends good."

"Good work. Now that we have Alex and Sylvia, let's bring them to the abandoned warehouse. After that, let's come back and grab their friends. I've got something special planned for them."

"What would that be? 'Cause I thought that it would be nice if we tied them all up and dumped them in the lake or something."

"Oh, you'll see, Gregorio. You'll see..."

* * *

><p><strong>In the abandoned warehouse... an hour after the captures...<strong>

**Alex's POV**

Damn... my head hurts. Actually, every part of me hurts. My body, my wings... my face! It's like something was pounding underneath my parts! It hurts! "Mmmm... Ugh... Damn. I'm hurting all over..."

My eyes were closed, and I didn't have enough energy to even lift one eyelid. I felt like I was flat on my stomach. The surface beneath me felt cold, hard and stony. Where am I? I remembered the warm jungle floor, not this. I need to know where I am. I just hope I'm not in a place with Diego and Gregorio.

Trying to scrounge up the remaining strength that I had left, I tried to get up from the cold ground using my wings as support. But they were aching so badly that I wasn't able to hold myself up long and I fell back flat on the ground again with a soft thud. "Ugh! Son of a... I can't believe this..."

I remember Blu being with me before all of this. Maybe he's around... "B-Blu... You there, buddy?"

"Good! You're finally awake!"

My heart jumped when I heard the voice. Diego was here. After hearing his voice, I could then hear his footsteps. They were getting closer. Pretty soon, the sounds stopped. And then I was turned over so I could lie on my back. "You might want to open your eyes, Alex. It's best if you'd see your surroundings."

I didn't want to cause any trouble as it may not only jeopardize me, but it may also jeopardize my friends. So I tried to open them.

My vision was a little blurry. But after blinking for a few times, my vision was becoming clear. What life showed me now was Diego and Gregorio looking down on me. They had evil yet victorious smiles on their faces. I guess they're proud that they finally caught me.

"Diego... W-where am I?" I said with a stone-cold voice.

"I'm glad you asked."

And with that, he and his brother grabbed my wings and pulled me up. As I stood, I looked around. Everything was dark. The only illumination available was above me. Thankfully, the light bulb was large. So it covered a wide area.

From the looks of my surroundings, I was in a dark abandoned building. The floors had many cracks, the whole place smelled old, there were a few other visible objects around that were worn out due to time withering them and there were moths flying around. Is this their hideout? Were they here all along?

As I came to register my surroundings in my head, I sharply turned towards the two villainous eagles and growled. "Where are my friends? What happened to them?"

Diego just laughed at me, no matter how serious I was. It made my blood boil. "I mean it, damn it! Where are they?"

"Do you really want to know?"

After saying that, he took out a remote and pressed a button. In response to the action, a few other lights flickered on and when I looked at the area that the lights illuminated, I saw a few fairly large cages. And inside those cages... were my friends. Blu, Jewel, Rafael, Eva, Nigel, Sylvia, all of the kids...

I ran towards the cages and checked to see if they're okay. Everyone seemed to be untouched. But my thoughts about that changed when my eyes came across Blu and Nigel. Blu had a black eye, a minor crack on his upper beak half and a few bruises. Nigel had a bandage wrapped around his body. But the bandage was bloodstained, which led me to thinking that one of those guys shot him. I turned to face the heartless eagles again with a death glare and yelled, "You bastards! I'm gonna kill you for this!"

Diego responded to my uproar with false modesty as he went towards me. "Aw... What ever happened to the Alex who would give second chances to anybody, huh? Is it too personal for your wittle heart?"

I wanted to kill this piece of crap right now, so I brought my wing to my belt. I ought'a shoot him before... W-what the? My belt's not with me! I looked at my waist area to make sure and sure enough, it wasn't there. It wasn't long before Diego sounded off a maniacal laugh. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I'm not dumb enough to leave your belt strapped on once you were knocked out, so I took it off and left it there by the table."

He pointed his feather towards a far away table that had broken tools scattered on it. And he was right. My belt was there. I thought about making a run for it, but then I heard a gun cock. Gregorio pointed his gun right at me before I even moved a toe. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You move one of those feet, and you'll be limping back to your human friend with leaking body!"

"What's the point, dumb ass? You guys are gonna kill me in the end anyway!"

"Why, you son of a-"

"Gregorio, stop! I'll handle this!" Diego ordered by blocking his path with his wing. And then he looked at me with a grave look.

"I believe that we have had enough time dilly-dallying here. Let's finish this."

My eyes widened in surprise when he suddenly charged towards me with a knife in hand. Damn it! I don't have anything that can best defend me from that knife! It was pretty big too! Egh... No time to ponder about this! I just have to find something! "You're dead!"

I was able to jump out of the way before he could vertically slash me with his knife. Knowing that I have nothing against him, I decided to run around and try to hold him off. At least until my friends wake up. "If I can't fight you, then maybe I just have to tire you out!"

And with that, I started flapping my wings and flew in the air... the dusty air, that is.

"Ugh! Gregorio! Cut him off! I want to toy with this bastardo before I officially end him! Tease him with you gun or something!"

"Ha ha! With pleasure!"

Aw, shit! They're gonna toy with me? Son of a bee sting! I have to get to my belt! My gun's holstered there! I could do *C.Q.C., but Gregorio's there with his gun, which doesn't make it a fair fight. I'll get shot before I could even throw a punch to Diego's face.

* * *

><p>The intense scene lasted for about 10 minutes. Alex flew around, trying to dodge not only Gregorio's teasing gun fire, but also Diego's feather-splitting knife slashes. While doing so, he worked his way towards the table where his utility belt was placed.<p>

Every thought about either a bullet penetrating his body or Diego cutting him in half forced his heart to beat unbearably fast. Such experience could kill someone.

But every part of it was worth it. And now, he was nearing the belt. "Yes... Yes... YES!"

His excitement and eagerness shrouded him. Once he reaches the object that housed most of his defense systems, he would be able to end both of the evil eagles and free his friends. Not to mention, go home with his best friend. But just when he was about to reach even the edge of the dust covered wooden table, Gregorio gave him a surprise appearance right in front of him and smacked Alex's face with the nondetachable stock of his gun, thus sending him back and forcing him to crash onto the cold, unforgiving floor.

His head was swimming in pain and dizziness. He laid there; trying to ease the returning pain that once again occupied his beak and skull. He even noticed that another small crack formed on his upper beak half, which made him definitely worried.

Right when he tried to stand up, the two villainous birds of prey landed in front of him. Diego then forcefully pressed his foot on Alex's chest; pushing him to the ground with a thud.

"I know it wasn't much of a fair fight. But that's how I can be. You have to cheat in order to catch your targets."

Feeling dominant and ready to kill, he re-positioned his knife and set the tip on his chest. "Any last words, American?"

Alex is not the type of person to accept defeat immediately, but the situation calls him to do so. With his last glare, he said, "Yes. My last words are these: I hope the both of you are brought to justice, by the hands of your own sister!"

"As if that would happen... Oh, well. Maybe time will decide... Good-bye, Alex."

"STOP!"

**Sylvia's POV**

Once I woke up, I saw my brothers preparing to kill Alex. I couldn't let them! So I yelled just before Diego could push the knife into his chest, thus getting their attention. Their eyes were pointed at my direction, and it looks like my brothers didn't appreciate my intervention. "Awake already? Look, Sylvia! Just sit the hell down and watch your friend die!"

"No, Diego! Just stop! Please! He doesn't deserve to die!"

"Shut up! This isn't just business now! It's also revenge!"

"Revenge? For what?"

He then looked at me with eyes of hatred... and somewhat concern. Moving the knife away from Alex, he walked towards my cage. He seemed to be shivering as he got closer. "I want to kill him because... BECAUSE HE TOOK YOU AWAY FROM ME!"

"W-what?"

"That bastardo's so-called charms that you saw in his eyes were responsible for your betrayal! I won't allow you to be friends with him or anyone else! And the only way to get you back by my side is to kill him!"

"B-but-"

"AND I WILL! JUST LIKE I DID TO OUR PARENTS!"

What? He did not just... Oh, Deus... That can't be true! He... He killed Mom and Dad?

* * *

><p>*C.Q.C.: Close-quarter Combat<p>

Author's Note: Okay... Not that juicy, but at least I got the intended stuff written. The next one will have drama and action! So be prepared! XD

I hope you enjoyed this! I most certainly hope you enjoy the whole story once it ends! :D

Reviews are greatly appreciated! If you spot oddities, you know what to do!

See ya all in the next chapter! :)


	19. All Things Must come to an End

Author's Note: Right! Hello once again, everyone!

Before I place the introductory rites of this new chapter, I'd like to give my thanks to all of you fellow readers and authors! You guys have really granted me a lot of support! I can't thank all of you enough! This story is a few chapters away from its end, and I'm glad that you all stuck to it 'til now. :)

Heck, it even pushed me to nearly completing my goal, and that's to have 100,000+ words for my first story and for the first time in this archive! XD

Once again, I thank all of you very, very much! One of the least things that I could do for all of you is to make sure that you finish this story with a happy face! :D

B-but on this chapter, things might be a little dark. I mean, c'mon. It's drama and action and tragedy. At least one dark thing has to happen, right? Am I right? Ha ha! Don't worry. As you progress, there will be a little humor. :)

Anyway, without any further delays, I give you all... Chapter 19: All Things Must Come to an End!

PS: Big thanks to Kraft58 for helping me with this one. I was going through writer's block again and I needed some assistance. :D

* * *

><p>All Things Must Come to an End<p>

**Sylvia's POV**

Upon hearing the statement, I was sent into an emotional shock and felt like the remnants of my heart were shattering to pieces. The deaths of my parents have been a mystery for 9 years. And all this time, my brother has been keeping the truth from me, in which the truth was actually committed by him as well.

While holding on to the cage bars like I was falsely convicted of a crime, I stared into my brother's hateful eyes with sadness and anger. Tears were forming and they were on the brink of falling off my lower eyelids. "No... Please tell me you're lying... I beg of you..."

This didn't push Diego to the side of sympathy, unfortunately. He just stayed on the other side of the cage with his wings crossed; looking at me with the same green hateful eyes. "I'm not lying. I did murder them... All for a good cause. The reason why you never found out is because Gregorio distracted you."

"But why? Why did you kill them? What did they ever do to you?"

"... Well... If you must know..."

**9 years ago...**

July 23, 2002: The D-day of Sylvia's parents

Night fall...

Somewhere in the far away locations of the jungles of Rio, by a cliff-side overlooking the beaches of Rio, a large and strong nest was positioned fairly near the edge, but not too near. Peaceful avian families are expected to settle there. But was peace really taking its toll?

In the middle of the nest, lay two adult White-tailed Eagles who were severely injured. The male was holding on to his bleeding ribs, while the female was trying to suppress the bleeding on her neck. The individual responsible for their injuries towered over them.

It was their eldest son, Diego. He was brandishing a jagged metal fragment. "Mama, Papa... I didn't want to do this. But fate told me to do so. I don't want to be raised by the soft and weak."

It didn't take long before the parents reacted, especially the father. "W-what? Is that why you did this to us? Because we're weak? This...This-Nngh... THIS IS ATROCIOUS!"

"Mejo, h-how could you do this to your father and I? What's-Urgh... what's wrong with being r-raised by non-fighters? What... What about Sylvia?"

His heart was nothing but a black piece of darkness and evil. The sight of his parents' condition made him smile, which they caught sight of and thus sending chills to their spines.

Lifting the jagged metal fragment in the air and ready to end his "weak parents", he stated his last words. "Gregorio and I don't want to be weak and we don't want to be raised by the weak. This world we live in now isn't safe anymore, and as brothers with the same opinion, we will not tolerate being the weak individuals!"

One at a time, he disposed of his own parents by stabbing them straight to their most prized possessions.

Dropping the bloodstained metal fragment, he prepared to take his leave. As he turned his back and walked away, he muttered, "I'll take care of Sylvia."

**A few minutes later...**

As the bloodstained evil White-tailed Eagle known as Diego staggered through the dark jungle, he thought about all the times he spent with his parents. "It's true that I have enjoyed my time with them, but after some exposure to the real world... It made me realize that one cannot survive if he or she is too soft. I know I was one of the nicest guys in the jungle, along with Gregorio and Sylvia. But all of that is about to change. I will not be withheld from my intentions. Even if my friends start to go against me, I will not stop and I will kill anyone who gets in my way."

**Back to reality...**

"So you see, Sylvia. It's just like I said 2 years after their deaths: We are against the world as it is against us. I am giving you another shot at this. I practically saved you from being one of the weaklings. If I didn't force you to join those human thugs, you would probably be dead and you wouldn't even be here. So... join me and Gregorio again, and we will live life as the fittest in survival." He said as he extended his wing inside the cage for me to shake.

I could not believe this... He killed them just because he... he was scared! Scared of being one of the weak creatures of this Earth! The coward!

My tear-drenched eyes narrowed into an unforgiving glare after the truth has been validated. He cannot be in my life ever again. As a response, I shook my head and said, "No. I won't join you. I'll never join you and I will never forgive you for your actions against our parents. Or should I say, MY parents. I'd rather die than join you on your homicide."

After hearing my response, he slowly looked away for a while; eyeing Gregorio, who has Alex pinned to the ground... not to mention that he's been listening the whole time. His wing was still inside the cage. I was going to push the wing away, but then I felt something in my gut. It was uncomfortable too. Ever had those feelings? They usually come in when you know something bad is going to happen.

Just to be sure of that, I eyed Gregorio, who suddenly nodded after Diego looked at him. I was going to ask what that was all about, when suddenly, Diego snapped his head towards my direction and his wing shot up to my neck and gripped it tightly.

"(GASP) Aaack-ack-urgh..."

"IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, THEN SO BE IT!"

* * *

><p>By the time Diego's anger doused him completely, he lost all remnants of his sanity. Sylvia could see his eyes darken, his smile widening. It became quite clear what he wanted to do. He wanted to see his sister lying dead at his talons.<p>

After a few seconds of draining her strength, he threw her to the back of the cage, opened the cage and grabbed her by the chest feathers. "You'll be seeing Mama and Papa very soon!"

Not feeling any sympathy or showing any mercy, the overly-angered Diego abruptly dragged Sylvia across the cracked, dirty floor of the warehouse. Her talons stubbing each and every crack which made them numb. Her miserable and frightened expression showing itself upon her evil brothers. He and his Gregorio laughed maniacally at the sight, but Alex was infuriated. However, as much as he loved to help her, he couldn't because he was pinned and he was knocked around until he neared his breaking point. In short: he was too weak to do anything.

Diego came to a stop as soon as Sylvia was next to Alex. There was no telling what the two insane eagles would exactly do to them.

"Gregorio?"

"Yes, Diego?"

"You can have Alex. I'll deal with Sylvia and... oh, I don't know... BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HER!"

And with that, Diego slammed his strong right foot on to Sylvia's exhausted body; making her yelp in pain. "Agh!" Thus begins the abusive treatment.

As Alex was getting the same experience, he was also forced to watch Diego enjoy his physical abusive treatment towards Sylvia. He couldn't stand the sight of how he mercilessly beat her and how she yelped and shrieked in pain. But most of all, he couldn't stand the fact that it was her own brother doing the deed.

All this was beginning to make Alex's blood boil. She was all alone ever since she lost her parents. And it was all thanks to Diego and Gregorio. 'I can't just lie here, getting beaten by some abusive whack-job and do nothing to save Sylvia! I'm gonna have to put my foot down!'

**Alex's POV**

I needed the right timing. Once Gregorio attempts to slam his foot on my chest again, I'll give him a special surprise! The same goes for Diego! It's time I put the ass-whoopin' to its full potential!

"Having fun?" He said as he lifted his foot. The chance is nearing. I just have to play along a bit longer...

"Huh! You bet I am! All this stuff is turning me into a masochist!"

"Ha! Well unfortunately for you, this will be your last!" His talons focused as he hardened his foot. I didn't expect that to happen, but things are still going the way I planned it.

Not hesitating and eager to end me, he brought down his foot which was aimed for my chest. Now's my chance!

Before his foot even touched the surface of my chest, I brought my wings up and blocked it. He gasped in shock and his eyes widened when he realized my plan. And before he could even do anything else, I scrounged up all my strength, with the help of my anger, and pulled his foot to my right side; causing him to fall to that direction. "Agh! (THUD)"

Once I got the upper hand, I stood up and narrowed my eyes at Diego, who stopped dead in his moves and glared back at me. "You wouldn't dare..."

"Oh, I would. For Sylvia, at least."

With our eyes still in contact, he slowly stepped away from Sylvia and towards me. I could tell he has something up his sleeve. Or... wing, that is. "Look! Just stop this! You're not only making things hard for yourself. But you're also making things hard for your own sister! You killed the ones she truly loved, you forced her to take the path of the unrighteous and now you're abusing her! Physically! What's your point in all of this?"

"I do believe that your questions will be answered IN YOUR AFTERLIFE! RARGH!"

Thankfully, my confidence in saving Sylvia and my other friends boosted my strength. I stood my ground and waited for the right time to strike.

Once he got close enough to me, I stepped to my left, quickly grabbed his right wing and gave it a twist to his back with my other wing clamped on his left wing. "Tell me why you're doing this! NOW!" I demanded again, showing that I wasn't kidding around.

But he was persistent. He was trying really hard to squirm out of my grasp. "Unh! You wouldn't understand, American! Unh! The only thing that I'm telling you is that- Unh! You! Will! DIE! Just like your mother!"

I was appalled to hear that from him. I don't know how he knew. Was it the paper? It could have been. But the shocking feeling wasn't the only thing that went in me. I also felt extreme anger. Hardening the twist on his wing, I hissed. "How did you know that? HOW! TELL ME!"

At first he grew silent, but then he started to cackle maniacally. "Hehehehe hahahahaha! You see, Alex... Gregorio and I were there when you and Blu were arguing. We heard every word about your precious mother."

At this point, I was beyond angry. My silence proved it. "Aww... you sad that you'll never see your mother ever again?"

My eyes slit into deep pools of fury. His words struck a chord within my heart... The wrong chord.

I furiously turned him around and I placed my beak inches from his face. My voice was filled with hatred as I spoke out in a dangerous whisper.

"I should hurt you."

But right before I was going to do anything else, I turned my head around and looked into the cages that housed my friends, who were still knocked out from whatever knocked them out. Rafael, Eva, Jewel, Nigel, Blu, the kids... They've all been great to me. However, two out of all of them have been my greatest friends. They were none other than Blu and Nigel. But where were they now? Where are all of them now? In a cage! Two of them are hurt badly and the others are knocked out by God-knows-what! And someone has to pay for the damages!

I looked back to a slightly crept-out Diego, only to notice on the corner of my left eye that Gregorio was getting back to his feet. But his gun wasn't next to him. It was next to my feet. Without hesitation, I lowered my free wing (of course, my other wing held on to Diego, otherwise he'd get away) and grabbed the gun. His seeing me do so made him stop dead, which on the other hand, made Diego angry. "What are you doing? Get him!"

"I-I'm sorry, brother! But there's no way I'm getting closer! He's holding the SMG with one wing, a-and he's pointing it to my face!"

I placed a feather close to the trigger and enhanced the threat I posed. "That's right. Cower in fear!"

With the gun still pointing at his brother, I snapped my head to Diego and whispered, "You'll pay for everything you did."

Not feeling my normal self anymore, I forcefully pushed Diego to the ground and looked at Gregorio with an angered expression. I pointed the gun at his body and pulled the trigger. The gun made a loud popping sound as several bullets escaped the chamber. The gun smoked and jolted, but I kept a firm grip upon the weapon.

Sparks flew through the air as the bullets were bouncing off his metal armor, but the impact was devastating. It seemed that his armor was starting to crack after every bullet hit.

Once the last bullet escaped the chamber and hit Gregorio on the most damaged part of his armor, the protective casing shattered into tiny pieces. However, the bullet didn't stop there. As soon as the armor broke, the bullet continued to move and it penetrated his body. A small jet of blood squirted and he yelled in pain as he fell to the ground on his back. 'Ha! That should keep him down for a while!' I thought grimly before I looked at Diego, who was getting to his feet.

As he got up, he eyed his brother, who was moaning in pain. The sight of his nearly-fallen brother saddened him and at the same time infuriated him. "Merde! You'll pay for what you did! And that's the last time I'm ever gonna use old metal!"

"Oh, I do believe that no one is paying for anything except you."

Knowing that the gun is empty, I tossed it away. And now that Gregorio's down at the moment, I can give Diego the punishment he deserves. "Like you said, Diego... Let's finish this."

I really wanted to let him have it, so I took the honor of making the first move. I jumped towards him and in mid-air, I used my wings to push myself to him and bashed his armored body with my head. The sound of flesh and feathers colliding with steel echoed throughout the building, and I assume that I must have woken someone up because I heard distant moans coming from the cage area.

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV<strong>

Oh, boy. Do I feel dizzy... and pained. My face is aching like something was pounding underneath it. I tried to open my eyes, only to find out that my left eye had a better vision than my right. I tried opening my right eye, but it felt like something was holding it down. I was starting to feel scared, so I quickly brought my wing up and rubbed my right eye. Here's what I found out: It felt swollen.

I was beginning to panic and wonder why I got a swollen eye. But then I remembered that I had a fight with Diego.

Speaking of Diego... where is he? Or better yet, where am I?

My surroundings showed me that I was surrounded by tall black bars. And the top was also black. Oh no! I'm in a cage! Was I alone? Were my friends and family with me? I had to know- "Ooh, God... my head hurts..."

That voice... Nigel! He's here! And his voice sounded... close. Okay, it sounded TOO close. It's like he was just behind me or something.

"B-Blu? Is that you?"

Feeling very curious, I cautiously turned my head around, and pretty much... Nigel was there, along with Jewel and the others, who have just exited their slumber zone. "Nigel! Jewel! Everyone!"

"Blu-darling? Is tha- AGH! No! I'm in a cage again! Nigel, did you do this?"

"Hey! You know I would never dare to cage you or the others ever again! And since I'm also caged, we're even now!"

"Amigos! Calm down! We'll get out of this!"

"Oh, yeah? And just how, Rafael? As a mother of 18 kids and your mate, I would love to know what you have in mind this time!"

Jewel, Nigel, Rafael and Eva (in that respective order) began to argue on how they were going to get out of the mess that Alex's enemies got us into. Just listening to them argue made me to a face-palm. Or should I say "face-wing". Get it? Because it's we're birds and that we don't have palms? ... Agh, forget it!

And speaking of Alex... he's not here. Where could he- "You're gonna have to do better than that to kill me, American!"

"Oh, I will! And you'll be seeing stars and stripes when I'm done with you!"

All the commotion that was going on inside our cages ceased and we all looked at the direction of where the voices came from. Not too far from our cages were two eagles fighting. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look, despite my swollen right eye. When I got a better view of the two birds, I was appalled. It was Alex and Diego. They were in the middle of an intense fight.

"GO, UNCLE ALEX! KICK HIS BUTT!" Shouted Brandon and Ryan.

I could see them grappling each other, only Alex was the one leading. He had his foot around Diego's neck and his wings were spread wide. He was fighting like a wild bird. And when I mean wild, I mean from the wild. He wasn't using anthropomorphism. He was using his natural self-defense!

"Rrrgghhh!" Alex was growling furiously as he tightened his grip around his enemy's neck. One of Diego's eyes were kept closed due to the pressure building in his neck.

"Aack! You... Can't... KILL... ME!"

But it looks like Diego's gonna try to get him off. I noticed his open eye revert to Alex's leg. Just when I was about to warn Alex, Diego used his beak as a weapon and bit him hard; causing Alex to yell in pain. "OW!"

The resulting action made his foot grip loosen, thus allowing Diego to counterattack by grabbing his foot and throwing him to his side.

I wanted to help. But the cage was locked from the outside. I guess all I could do is watch and hope for the best.

...

...

"Blu, I'm gonna get you all out of here."

"AGH-" I was cut off with a wing blocking my beak.

"Sssshhh..."

I didn't see that one coming. Sylvia just popped up in front of me, but something was a bit wrong. "Sylvia... Thank goodness you're here- W-what happened to you?"

She was all bruised up. Her left leg was limp and she had blood on her beak. I was deeply concerned for her, but she just brushed that off. "Never mind that. Just tell everyone to come over here. Not only will I help you out of this cage, but I also have a plan."

This was our only ticket out, so I made faint whispers to the others. "Psst! Guys... Over here."

**A few minutes later...**

"Ergh! Just let me unlock this cage..."

Sylvia was trying to pick the lock with her talons. We were all eagerly waiting on the other side. It was pretty silent. The only things we were hearing were the sounds of Alex and Diego's fighting and the lock picking. I was getting really nervous though. What if Alex doesn't succeed? What if Diego gets the upper hand and kills him? If so, things would all go down. We need a plan... Wait. Sylvia said she has a plan. I can just ask her. How silly of me to forget...

"Um, Sylvia? You said you have a plan, right?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us while you're picking that lock?"

"(Sighs) I was just about to. Excited much?"

Wow. Someone's a little grumpy today...

"Anyway, here's the plan: Before I left my brothers, I remember seeing a few gas cans somewhere in this warehouse. Once I get you all out of this cage, we find those cans. Our objective: Set this place to a blaze."

Burn this warehouse? Is she nuts? "B-b-burn this warehouse? Even w-with Alex in it?"

"We have no choice! It's either him or us! E-either way, we burn this place down whether any of us likes it or not!"

And with that, the lock broke and she flung the cage door open. "Now, quick! Out! Now! Before- Gah!"

We all gasped in shock as soon as Sylvia was cut off. And if you want to know what or who cut her off, it was Gregorio. He landed on her chest. "Ha ha ha ha! Thought I didn't see your little move, eh?"

I opened my beak to protest, but then Jewel and Eva came up. They seemed like they have a plan. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said Jewel with a smirk.

"Oh, really? What makes you think YOU TWO have anything against me, hmm? Your motherly anger? Ha-hahahahaha!" He cackled so hard that his eyes closed.

My head looked back and forth after every one of their replies, but it stopped with Eva. I saw that she had a mischievous smile on and her wings were crossed. "Oh, even better."

I kept my eyes on her, only to then find that 16 of her and Rafael's kids rose up to the air; looking angry. I couldn't help but smile. Gregorio was gonna have his, dare I say it, ass kicked by the "little angels"! Ha ha!

As Gregorio continued laughing, the kids' shadows were combined into one as they rose up, and the shadow now cast over him. When he opened his eyes, his laughing slowly died out and soon, his evil smile morphed into a look of fear. He even started to shiver and stutter. "Uh... Uuuhh..."

"..."

"... Oops?"

And with the wave of victory racing up to Eva, she pointed her wing tip at the frightened villain and yelled, "GET HIM!"

**OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE...**

"..."

"..."

"AAAAAAGH! GET AWAY FROM MEEEEEE!"

**BACK IN THE WAREHOUSE...**

By the time Gregorio ran off, the toucan chicks cheered. "HA HA! TAKE THAT, BAD GUY!" And I thought their rowdiness wouldn't be any useful.

Jewel and Eva gave each other a fist pump with their feet as a victory signal. Nigel, Rafael and the elder kids just stood there, wide-eyed; astonished and appalled. "I... I... I..." They couldn't say another word. He he...

Anyway, I just let them have their little celebration while I went over to Sylvia. It looked like Gregorio really let her have it back there. The poor eagle. She's been through enough already. It's amazing that she's still active.

I knelt down and gently grabbed her by the wing. "Sylvia. Are you okay?"

"Y-yes. Thank you. I've been through enough physical treatment for one night."

"He he... You don't say."

She chuckled back and I helped her up. "I guess one problem is down. All we have left is one-"

"NOOOO! Gregorio, you coward!"

After Gregorio's little escape, thanks to Jewel, Eva and the toucan chicks, one problem has been solved. But there is one left, and he doesn't seem to be very happy.

Even under Alex's hold, he yelled and squirmed in the most unimaginable way. "Agh! Everything's ruined! First, my sister. Then my brother! Ngh... THAT'S IT!"

Alex's body trembled under the effort of holding onto the squirming creature. His talons tightened with each passing second, as I could assume he tried to keep the feeling in his limb. The blood flow must have been bad, and threatened to fall asleep on him. That much I knew for certain. I could see Diego growing more and more desperate to escape from his opponent's grasp. I swallowed a lump in my throat, knowing that with desperation came adrenaline. He would regain his strength, and be able to push the American Eagle off of him with little effort.

"GAAAH!"

With his sudden outburst, he managed to escape Alex's hold and socked him on the face. Once he fell to the ground with a loud thud, Diego flew straight towards Sylvia. I could see that his eyes had nothing more than seething pools of insanity and the thirst for blood. "You're gonna go to hell this time, you bitch!"

After remembering the things she's been through with him, Sylvia felt fear run up her spine. Receiving another beating wouldn't be the best thing to get right now. Being in a frightened rush, she turned to me and the others and gave us the objectives. "Go! Find those gas cans and set this place on fire!"

"B-but what about you and Alex?"

"We'll be fine! We just need to hold Diego off! Now go- GAH!"

Again, she was pinned down by Diego who was desperately trying to claw her face off. And you call that FINE? "B-but-"

"I'll be fine- Ha!" She propelled her good wing to his face and he was pushed off.

I mumbled under my breath and started the search with the others, hoping that I wasn't the one lucky enough to come across the cans in question. I lowered my head, and shook of my doubts. I needed to believe that they would be safe. I needed to trust their strengths, after all, despite the short amount of time of being with them, they had proven their willingness to fight till the bitter end. They had come this far with me, and they've faced Diego head on. I was almost certain that they wouldn't let a fire pick them off.

"Alright, guys. While they hold him off, search every corner of this warehouse. There's bound to be a few cans around."

"Hey, Dad! I found a couple of them!"

I didn't even need to turn my head to see what Tina has. I was actually hoping we'd find something less destructive. Something that's just enough to bring down Diego and not the whole place. Why does Sylvia even want to do such a thing? M-maybe I'm missing something. Perhaps an explanation lies in her past words...

**QUICK MEMORY CHECK...**

"That warehouse was our hideout ever since we started hunting Alex down."

"My own brothers tried to kill me!"

"From that day on, I was trained under those terrorists that attacked you and your human friend, Alex. I... I didn't want to join them, but Diego forced me. No matter how much I begged of him and Gregorio, they wouldn't let me go and live my own life. As time went by, I grew accustomed to the things I am told to do. My life slowly turned into a life of crime and violence. My kind and passionate self slowly died while I committed all of the bad things I was told to do. I felt no guilt or sorrow. All I felt was evil, hatred and the pleasure of killing."

**!REALIZATION STRICKEN!**

So that's why! This place is filled with haunting memories! And they won't let up until they've been burned to ashes! If I want Sylvia's emotional suffering to end, then in the name of justice, friendship and hot chocolate, I will!

I just hope they get out in time...

**Meanwhile...**

He removed his wing, realising just how true his words would be. The extent of his injuries had been unknown even to him. He hadn't really had the time to think about while locked in battle, but he could no longer deny the damage inflicted to his body. His beak twisted as pain shot through him, causing a rather pained expression. He gasped and closed his eyes.

'I... I can't let the pain get me. I have to save Sylvia.'

Putting all the determination in, the injured Alex slowly stood up from the cold ground he was pushed into. Knowing his current condition, he needed something to use against Diego. He thought about using the stuff in his belt, but it was too far. Sylvia won't last very long against her insane brother, considering her condition as well.

He desperately looked around him, looking for something useful. But then his desperate search came to a stop when he spotted the Gregorio's empty gun on the ground. The shattered pieces of his armor surrounded the weapon. 'This may be my only chance.'

Picking it up, he replaced his face of pain and exhaustion with his game face.

He slowly staggered his way to Diego with the gun in his grasp; the stock of the empty SMG pointed up and intended to permanently place a mark on the opponent's head. 'Time to put the hurt!'

This was his only chance. One wrong move and it may be all over for the both of them and their friends.

Once he was fairly close, he hardened his grip on the gun and gave a full swing to his head.

SMACK!

He didn't have time to watch his open sides and was violently smacked square on the head. "Agh!"

The blow was strong enough to not only throw him off of his beaten sister, but also to make his forehead bleed. Thankfully, the hit was so strong that it knocked Diego in to a spinning daze. He kept himself on the ground; trying to regain his focus.

In the meantime, Alex dropped the now bloodstained gun and knelt down next to Sylvia. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was very slow. A wave of high-level worry raced into Alex's mind and forced him to be on the verge of tears. "Oh, God. Sylvia... D-don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine."

Sylvia wanted to reply, but all that came out of her beak were raspy sounds. Diego had really messed her up. She needed medical attention, pronto!

Regaining more strength, Alex placed his wings under Sylvia's back as he stood up and scooped her into his wings. "Diego's down for the moment. We can use this chance to get the hell out of-"

"Amigos! Let's go! The fire's already spreading!" Alex was cut off by Rafael, who was telling them about a fire and such.

"Fire? What fire?"

"THAT FIRE!" He yelled and pointed to the cage area. Once Alex turned his head to the direction, his eyes widened and his beak was left open. There were flames. Roaring flames. They had already engulfed the cages with tongues of fire!

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry for the sudden end of this chapter. I couldn't think of any other way. Everything else will be explained in the next chapter. Oh, God... I don't feel like myself right now...<p>

Anyway... Big thanks to Kraft58 for the assistance, as well as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I recently started watching it and just watching it sometimes gets rid of the block. XD

Reviews are greatly appreciated! Oddities? You know what to do! :D

Catch ya all in the next chapter! :D


	20. The Final Card to Play

Author's Note: Hello again! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! XD

Diego's terror acts end here! However, it might not be what most of you expected. What could it be? Well... Let me just say that violent things will still happen to him, but something else will happen and you'll all find out as you read! XD

I'll cut my speech short and proceed to the story.

Here it is! Chapter 20: The Final Card to Play

* * *

><p>The Final Card to Play<p>

There are those who believe that a murderer will never be forgiven. Even with the heavy guilt they receive, they will never be. Not in an eternity, at the least and most.

There are also those who find the forgiveness in their hearts, to give to those who once showered evil upon them and/or their loved ones.

But what will be done? What will the American Eagle, the one who has been freed from his nightmares after the realization of his past, choose? Will he forgive? Or will he take things personally and kill the evil doer?

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

"You mean to tell me that Sylvia devised this plot? To burn this place down?"

"Eeyup! He he! Get that reference?"

"Ugh... don't even get started on that one while we're here."

I was beginning to panic. My heart was beating unbearably fast and I could feel my legs shaking, despite the fact that I have been scuffling with Diego for the whole night. Hell, I'm not even sure if it's night time anymore. It seemed like forever. I can't wait to get out of here and relax! "Alright. Can you take Sylvia for me? I don't think I can hold her for long. Diego really let me have it back there."

I know. I'm an eagle and I'm supposed to be stronger than this, especially after what I've been through for a majority of my life. But really. Diego really sent me round the bend. I'm messed up! Thankfully, Rafael wasn't moody and all, considering his situation hours ago and now. He just landed next to me and took Sylvia off my wings. "No problemo, amigo. Let's go."

In a minute, we started pacing towards the door of the warehouse, which was already opened. As we walked, we were careful not to catch fire. It already spread around the building, even the ceiling. Looking back on how old this building is, it could fall down on us any minute. I mean, I could hear the sound of metal creaking in the midst of the flames' roars. "Damn. Was she really serious about setting this place on fire?"

"Yup. From Blu's understanding, this place is filled with her bad memories. So not only does she want to make sure that her older brother doesn't live to see the next sunrise, but also wants the memories to stop haunting her. Either way, it's personal for her."

"Hmm. I see."

We passed by the cages, which were already covered in flames. From behind the fire, I could see the others waiting for us by the open door. Nigel had the kids with him and Blu, Jewel and Eva were just about to toss away the gas cans.

I really couldn't wait to get out of this place. "Augh! Finally! All our troubles are almost over!" Rafael cheered, which made me smile in turn. I was also thinking the same thing.

"AAAAAGGGHH!"

A blood-curdling yell was emitted deep within the warehouse. I and Rafael stopped dead in our tracks and looked behind us. The flames were kind of blocking our view, but it didn't take us long enough to find out that Diego was back on his feet. His green eyes shined due to the copious amount of light that was emitted by the fire. And I could damn tell that he was looking right at us. "Shit. Raf, get Sylvia out of here. I'll take care of Diego."

I looked back at my Toucan friend, only to find his eyes widened and narrowed at me. I could tell that he didn't want me going back. "And what? Let you go back in there just to finish him off? Forget it, amigo! You could get killed in there! This old dump's about to collapse any minute! Just let the fire take him out! I'm sure you've done a good-enough deal of damage to him!"

"That's where you're wrong, Rafael."

"W-what?"

"He still has a chance to change. I know he does!"

"Boy, that eagle's insane! He's a murderer!"

"Again, Raf. That's where you're also wrong."

Not making any second thoughts, I turned back and dashed through the fire. I could hear Rafael screaming my name and telling me to come back. I completely appreciate his point and concern, but I know that somewhere deep inside Diego's heart of stone, lies a ray of hope. I'm sure that he still has love for the world and doesn't see it as a complete madhouse, and I'm not going to allow such a chance to be ruined.

I rushed back deep into the factory, my eyes widened in horror. The layout of the building appeared to have changed. Thick patches of smoke rose into the air, forcing me to cover my wing over my beak. I couldn't breathe, but that wouldn't stop me from moving onwards. I had to do this... no, I shook that thought out of my head... I needed to do this.

Thick traces of embers rose into the air, encouraged by the ever spreading flame. It continued to burn, weakening the foundation of the entire structure. It creaked and moaned as it threatened to collapse in on itself. I knew then that I would have to hurry. If I happened to still be in here when that roof caved in, there would be no hope of rescue. I'd be a sitting duck roasting in a sealed oven.

"Shit, where is he!" I cursed aloud. My eyes peering around never stopping to rest. The urgency is growing in my heart. I couldn't see the vicious eagle. I couldn't even hear him.

My traversal seemed to last forever. It felt like the hell that was now around me stretched further than before. I better find Diego. Fast! "Diego! Diego! Where are you?"

No answer. The only response was the moans of the fire and the creaking of the weakening building. But I can't give up! I have to find him! I'm not giving up! Loosening the hold on my beak, I yelled his name again. "DIEGO! WHERE ARE YOU!"

I yelled his name again and again as I went deeper into the warehouse. I'm pretty sure that the others could hear me yelling, because they were yelling back at me. I even heard Nigel say, "You best get your behind back here if you still want to see your human friend!"

I know I want to see Dexter again, but I just don't have the heart to leave Diego here. I know he's been an asshole to me and the others, but I'm putting his past actions aside. I don't really blame him for turning into an evil being. I realized that whoever made him think that the whole world is against him is the one to blame. He was still a kid back then, which means he was easily manipulated. Seemingly permanently manipulated, that is. So if anyone isn't going to save him from himself, then I'll be the one to do it. Even if it means me dying in this place!

"If you can hear me, please, answer me! I can help you!"

Response or no response. I don't care as long as he's still up and alive. I just want to free him of his self-proclaimed nightmares. "Don't answer if that's what you decide to do. Just show yourself, before this whole place falls down on the both of us!"

I cautiously looked around me and tried to locate him but to no avail. Not even his shadow was seen. He probably decided to hide and burn here. But that's not going to stop me.

I began to walk faster, but then a sharp crack and a loud metal moan sounded off. And then a blast of red and yellow embers shot into my eyes. "GAH!" The excruciating pain. I held my wings up to my eyes hoping to clear the vision of a bright empty void. The embers and smouldering ash did their dirty work, I couldn't see...

... And then it was followed by another sharp crack and a loud metallic moan. I knew that something was going to fall on me, so I jumped to my side, even if I was temporarily blinded. I landed full on my stomach and quickly turned over. That's when I saw something crash on the place I was on a while ago. It was a large part of the warehouse roof. This place really is going to collapse soon! "Damn it! Where is he!"

"He he he. Up here."

I looked above me and there he was. Diego was perched on one of the rafters above me. He grinned evilly held his wing up. I then noticed that he had something in his hold. "Looking for this?"

I narrowed my eyes, and that's when it hit me. He was holding my belt. "Diego!"

"Aw. What's the matter? Afraid that I'll take your stuff?" He taunted as he swung the belt in front of me as if if he was intimidating me. I wasn't afraid that he'll take them. I was afraid that he'd use them.

"Well, too bad! I just did!" He yelled as he took my holstered gun from the belt with his free wing, pointed it at me and started shooting. I was hoping he wouldn't do that...

I immediately crawled away and quickly stood up and ran around, desperately looking for cover that can block those bird-appropriate .45 ACP bullets. While running and dodging the bullets, I yelled, "Diego! Stop this madness and listen to me!"

"Why should I listen to you!"

"I can help you! Just stop shooting and hear me out!"

He didn't listen, unfortunately. He just kept trying to shoot me down. But it didn't last long until I heard a click from the gun, which made me stop in my tracks. "Merde!"

Now was my chance. I turned around and started flying towards him. While flying, I watched him desperately rummaging through my belt pockets to see if there was anything else to use. I just remembered that I had a grenade there! I just hope he doesn't find it and use it! Otherwise it would worsen the condition of the place and increase the chances of it falling apart sooner than later. "Don't tell me that you have nothing else in here- Aha! Perfect!"

Shit! He found it! "Diego, NO!"

But it was too late. The sound of metal pulling apart filled the air. I closed my eyes, knowing full well that he pulled the pin. There couldn't be any other explanation. I gathered my courage, and landed upon the rafter.

"Go ahead. At this range you can't escape the blast. If the explosion doesn't get you, the shrapnel will."

I could see the conflict shining upon his face. He held the grenade in his wing. His limb trembling as he realized that my argument proved correct.

"Do you think I care, as long as you're dead? You won't beat me, you bastard."

My eyes widened as I realised that the explosion should have gone off. The ten second fuse should have extinguished blowing the metal casing into tiny shards of deadly projectiles. I studied the pineapple shaped bomb with curiosity, finding that the pin hadn't been removed.

Then it hit me. If the grenade's pin hadn't made the sound... What did? The rafters shook as it began to collapse, the piece Diego stood on gave way. In that second I charged forward grabbing hold of his wing.

"I don't want it to end this way." I grunted. "I can help you!"

"I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help! And I'll prove to you once and for all, that I will never, ever NEED ANYONE!"

With the grenade on his other wing, he placed the pin on the tip of his beak and removed it. My heart jumped as soon as he threw it in the air. I looked at him with worry, but all he shot back at me was a grin. "Let's let life make the decision on who goes."

* * *

><p><strong>Blu's POV<strong>

Great. Not only has he been in there for a long time, but gun shots sounded off from inside! I think my worry meter reached past its limit! I'm starting to shiver like crazy! "T-that's it! I'm going in!"

I started sprinting towards the flaming entrance, but then I was pounced on by Jewel and Nigel. And boy, are they heavy with their weight combined! "Oof! Ah- C'mon, guys! Let me go! I need to get him out of there!"

"No, Blu! You're just gonna get yourself killed!" Said Jewel.

I ignored her rant and tried to squirm out of their hold. But it seemed that Nigel was really holding me down. "The pretty bird's right, Blu! Just let life decide what to do with him!"

"Life? Let life decide what to- Ugh! No! I will not! Life's not fair, and you all know that!" I yelled as I looked sternly at them. Why couldn't they just let me go and rescue a friend? "Just- Just let me go! I have to-"

***(Call of Duty Grenade Style Explosion!)** I was cut off when a sudden explosion occurred! It came from inside the warehouse! "Oh, no! No! NO! ALEX!" I started to get all panicky and twitchy that I was able to squirm out of Jewel and Nigel's hold. Once I stood up, I could only watch in horror as the warehouse layout started breaking. The top part of the front entrance caved in, tongues of fire licking out as every piece of metal and concrete received impact with the fiery flooring.

"No... We're... We're too late. I... I..." Words could not properly escape my beak. I was too saddened. I couldn't save a friend. True that I was able to save Jewel before. But this... I didn't succeed in saving a friend.

I started to form tears in my eyes. My heart felt like it dropped to my guts. Every sound of the warehouse crashing down shot through my being like I was executed in a firing squad. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was watch the building fall to the ground, with my friend in there.

What's more, is that a loud thunder clap sounded off and it slowly began to rain... hard. But not hard enough to actually hit me like someone threw a pebble at me. Just strong enough to wash out most of the flames in an estimated time of 25 minutes.

I lowered my head and let my tears flow from my eyes. The raindrops softly pounding in my feathers as I look upon the destroyed structure. The rainfall began to strengthen, so the fire was weakening. But it could have done so before the whole thing fell down. If that happened, Alex would still be alive.

I could have sworn that I heard some of the kids crying. I looked behind me and I saw all three of my children and some of the Toucan chicks, crying weakly. Jewel, Nigel, Rafael and Eva were trying to fight back the sadness. Man... My pain has been increased. I didn't like seeing my friends so sad. But then... what if Alex is still alive? What if he's still breathing underneath all of that rubble? Yes! He might still be alive!

My face lightened up a bit and I told them, "Guys! He- He might still be alive! We have to look and make sure he's still alive!"

And with that, I ran towards the now-weakly-burning pile of rubble that was the warehouse. The rest, excluding Sylvia (since she was still knocked cold by Diego's further beating) and Eva (who was watching taking care of Sylvia) silently followed suit.

"Alex! Alex!" I yelled while walking over the rubble. The others did the same. We were hoping that he was still breathing under all this stuff. It's fine if he was injured, just as long as he's still alive! And I won't call off the search until we find him!

**A few minutes later...**

In the end... we didn't find him. We searched everywhere, and he was nowhere to be found. The only things we found were Alex's belt and his gun. I rummaged through the pockets of the belt and found other things. His iPod was cut in half and his small replica of the American flag was partially burnt, but is still considerably in good condition. Just looking at it made me force out even more tears. Out of all the things that we found, this is one of the things that will make me remember the eagle that was my friend.

I closed my eyes tightly and placed the flag on my chest. "I'm sorry, Alex... for my bad actions against you." I murmured silently as I clutched onto the flag with my wing tightly.

"BLU!" Nigel suddenly called out. If it was about something else, I didn't want to hear it. I'd rather spend the rest of this night, mourning and staying silent. "Not now, Nigel. I'm not in the mood for anything tonight..."

"No! You have to look at this!"

I sighed in slight frustration and abruptly went towards him. "What is it this time?"

"Set your hopelessness down for now, my friend. I think we found Alex."

Alex? Hearing his name and that that they found him made my heart jump in slight happiness. I started running towards his position, where the others were waiting. They were standing next to some kind of thin pole. Was that a marker? If it was, I guess I could understand why they did that. It would be hard to find Alex in this mess, assuming that his feathers were mostly brown and the rubble covered almost everything.

"Is that a marker you placed there?" I asked as I went over to them.

"No. We found this pole sticking up like this." Said Jewel.

"Really? So how do you know that you found Alex?"

"This." Nigel said as he pointed down to something next to his feet. When I got there, I noticed that a few feathers were sticking out. White feathers, that is. And they seemed to be quite long. So I'm guessing that those are Alex's tail-feathers.

"Alright, then. Let's get him out- Wait... If these are his tail feathers, and there's that pole which is uncannily close to those feathers, then..." My eyes, as well as the others' eyes slowly widened in horror as we started to realize that something wasn't right.

In a flash, we started getting all the rubble and small warehouse debris off of Alex. As we dug, his body started to slowly show itself. Once his whole body and head finally revealed themselves, we all gasped in horror. With right timing too, since a flash of lightning went off.

It really was Alex. He was covered in ashes and some blood. And the pole was sticking right out of his back. His left leg was twisted too. By the way he was positioned, he seemed to have someone in his embrace underneath him. When Nigel removed the pole from his body, some blood squirted out and sprayed onto his face. "Agh! Putrid liquid!" He yelled as he tossed the pole away and placed his wings on his eyes so he could rub the blood off.

While he was busy rubbing his eyes, I and the rest gently moved Alex to the side and again, we gasped as what' was underneath him revealed itself, or rather himself. It was not just a gasp of horror, but also in shock. Who he had in his wings... Diego. Like Alex, he was covered in dirt, ashes and also a bit bloodied. The pole also penetrated him. I just stood there, wide-eyed. Alex tried to protect him. After what he did to him all the time he was here in Rio, he still had it in his heart to protect him.

"I... I can't... I can't believe this." I said weakly.

Jewel also commented on the sight. "I know. Considering the stuff he did to Alex, he was still protected."

We can't leave him like this. We have to help him too. Even if I was scared to say such, I breathed in deeply, exhaled heavily and said, "We have to bring him to Tulio. Alex, Diego and Sylvia... Those three need medical attention."

I expected to hear a few protests and some disbelieved looks from the others, especially Jewel, since I also mentioned Diego's name. But instead, they nodded. I was glad that they agreed. And I also know that if Alex wakes up and finds out that we left Diego for dead, he would flip out and pin us to the walls like his trophies.

Rafael and Nigel agreed to carry Alex and Diego, while I, Eva and Jewel would carry Sylvia. "Alright, amigos. Let's get them some help. And we better hurry, otherwise these two eagles are gonna bleed out, and the rain might get stronger."

So we took our assigned eagles and headed over to the sanctuary. I just hope we get there in time and that Tulio's awake to see this.

* * *

><p>The cure to the virus known as evil is the exact opposite of evil.<p>

Love, kindness and friendship.

Alex still had sympathy for the evil Diego, even though he was treated very badly. In shorter terms and in Alex's honest thoughts, treated like shit.

But taking their conditions into consideration, will they make it to the sanctuary in time? Or will they bleed out in mid-air and simply leave the world?

Maybe yes. Maybe no. Who knows?

* * *

><p><strong>*It was the kind of explosive sound effect that I first thought of. XD<strong>

Special Note: Thanks again to Kraft58 for giving out some help for me here. XD

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I was busy with my review classes and working on Project: Scarlet. But now I got this one done. :)

I hope you enjoyed this one! A few more and this will be done!

Reviews are greatly appreciated! If there are any oddities that I missed, let me know.

I will see you all in the next chapter! Stay tuned! XD

**P.S.: In a few days, I'll be going back to school. So for any stories that I have planned, they might not update as fast as they regularly do. But that doesn't mean that I'll stop. They'll still be there and I will continue to write for all of you! XD**


	21. Redemption, Death and Unity: Part 1

Author's Notes: Whaddup, people? How's it going? XD

Ha ha! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the previous chapter! While I was writing that chapter out, I had this weird feeling in my gut saying that most of you would want Diego dead and all (considering the other past reviews). But of course, I wanted to surprise you all. And this chapter might just enhance the surprise that was given by the previous one.

I won't go into details now, but let me say that you will find out what happens as you read this here chapter. A lot of things will happen here. So... yeah. :D

By the way, I'm sorry for the long wait. 4th Year High School's a b**ch. At least that's how I felt... I would have finished this earlier. I was in school the other day, honestly speaking. I had my laptop with me. I wanted to write this down so I could publish it soon, but I couldn't find any peace. There were teachers walking around and I don't think they would see off-school literature writing as an a-okay thing in school. Our administration sucks, truthfully speaking. You wouldn't want to enroll in the school I'm in. Advanced in lessons, yes. But they're like dictators! Some teachers there are cool, though. But not all.

Anyway, yeah. School's a b**ch. Once the next summer comes, or at least any sign of free time, I'm gonna set my fingers on fire (figuratively speaking) and get down to writing. :D

Bah! Enough from me! Let's get this over with! XD

With out any more delays, I give you... Chapter 21: Redemption, Death and Unity: Part 1

...

...

Eeyup! Here we go...

...

Right now... ;)

* * *

><p>Redemption, Death and Unity: Part 1<p>

The chilly air...

The soft surface...

Slow constant beeping sounds...

Nothing more but that...

But... Was this heaven? Was this heaven in Alex's electric dreams- Oh, what the hell! Just get on with the story! People are waiting! Stupid narrator...

Narrator: HEY! WATCH IT!

* * *

><p>April 10, 2012: Blu Bird Sanctuary<p>

10:23 am...

As the eyes of Alex Eisenhower slowly opens, he moans in the numbness of his body. "Mmm..."

Once he reaches the half-point, he turns his head around to scan his surroundings. He sees that he is in a white room. He also notices that he is resting on a small bed. The kind of bed that's used in a hospital, only it was appropriate for his size. But the height of the bed was the same as the ones used for humans. 'By golly... I'm in a hospital,' he thought.

Feeling curious about what else was in the room, he slowly tries to raise his body from the bed. But halfway there, he suddenly felt an excruciatingly sharp pain develop on his back and stomach. He didn't know what to hold on to. He yelled a bit as his body jerked in pain and put himself in a fetal stance as he placed his wings on his stomach, but when he was about to ball up, another wave of pain seared through him. His left leg, specifically. Again, he yelled, but this time more audible. "AAGH!"

He eyed his pained left leg, only to find it elevated and wrapped in a cast. He narrowed his eyes on his leg and saw that it was supported by some smooth metal wires. The wires stretched up to a point where Alex's neck reached the limit. The wires were properly connected to some kind of crane-like device which can be controlled.

When he looked at his body, it was covered in a white bandage.

Not wanting to move his body since the pain might return from any other movement, he moved his head around instead.

To his left, he saw a machine which had a screen. It was like a computer screen mounted on a stand-fan's body. The screen had some lines and numbers showing. The lines seemed to motion like sharp waves every time a beeping sound emanated. "Huh. It's showing, what it seems to be, my heart rate. The numbers are fairly high and the lines are green. The line movements' rhythm with the beeping sounds weren't so fast or so slow, but rather perfect. I guess I'm in good condition." He said to himself weakly.

The wires that were connected to it trailed to his right leg. "Ugh. Why do I have a feeling that the tip of the wire is in my leg? It... It feels weird. Oh, wait... That's the IV." He was confused by the multitudes of wires that he didn't notice the IV stand and the IV bag next to the heart rate examiner.

When he turned to his right, he saw a night stand. It had a lamp and a phone. But it had more. He also saw his belt, his iPod, his gun and his replica of the American flag. The belt was a bit tattered, his iPod was split in half, his gun was slightly covered in black dirt and its slide was retracted, which meant that it was empty, and his American flag replica was slightly burnt. But the design was still clear and noticeable and that there were no holes.

Looking at the objects, it was then he remembered what had happened last night.

He remembered the fighting, the warehouse being swallowed by the flames, his friends, saving Diego... "(Gasp!) Diego! Where is he?"

Remembering the evil eagle he had sympathy for, he desperately looked around him, trying to find him. It was then he realized that the bed he was on wasn't the only one in the room. The room was actually big. It had more other beds and similar equipment. But he was all alone. There was no other bird in the room. It was just him. Which meant that Diego wasn't there.

**Alex's POV**

Diego wasn't around. Where could he be? I remember having him in my wings when we fell. The grenade explosion made the both of us fall off the rafters and I am 100% sure that I got him as we fell into the flames. "D-Diego? Where are you?" I said, sounding like I was getting scared.

... No answer.

I thought about asking again. So I opened my beak and prepared to speak up.

However, just when I was going to ask again, I heard something... like something wooden was opened. Doors? It did sound like the opening of wooden doors. The sound erupted from my right. When I looked at that direction, I saw a couple of tan-colored humans. They were wearing white coats and they were bringing in another bed. I caught a glimpse of what was on the bed, but I couldn't really tell who or what it was. All I could see was a brown color.

I quickly lowered my head on the pillow, closed my eyes and stayed still like I have been asleep the whole time.

While staying disguised, the humans began to converse. Luckily, they spoke in English. So I perfectly understood what was being talked about.

"Man. Look at this poor eagle."

"I know. Can you imagine what that blue bird described when he and his friends found him and the American eagle?"

"Yeah. The whole warehouse thing and a pole sticking up from his back. (Sighs) Well, the American eagle's lucky that he's going to be fine, even if he took most of the damage from that said pole."

Pole? Sticking out of MY back? Oh, God... I nearly died just like my mother! And that explains the pain I had on my front and back a while ago. The pole that they're talking about must have fallen on my back and then poked out from the front.

And about the other eagle they were talking about... could it be Diego?

"What do you think brought this poor fella to this kind of condition?"

"I don't know. But Mr. Monteiro said that he isn't going to make it. The best we could do is continue to take care of him until he passes away."

The sounds of their footsteps and the bed's wheel creaking began to increase in volume. The sounds focused on my left side. After about 20 seconds, the sounds stopped. But that wasn't it. I then heard the sounds of equipment handling. Soon, beeping sounds started... well, sounding off.

"Just our right too. His heart rate's low."

"Poor bird. Let's just give him and his friend some rest. It's better if we don't stay here. We might just make a ruckus."

"I'm with you on that one. We can come back later to check on them."

I slowly opened my right eye, only to find them walking away and back through the door. Once they got through, they quietly closed them. Now was my chance to see who the eagle next to me really is.

Opening my eyes, I slowly adjusted my body position (remembering my wounds and my broken leg) and made an attempt to take a peek on who was beside me. When I moved my heart-rate examiner machine a bit, I couldn't help but gasp in shock and realization.

That eagle... That one eagle that the doctors classified as the dying eagle... was Diego.

The bandage wrapped around his body was thicker and bloodstained. His left leg had a cast wrapped around it (similar to mine). I took a look at the machine that displayed his heart rate, and I realized that the docs weren't kidding. His heart rate really was low. Diego was dying.

Feeling hopeless, I lay myself on the bed and just gazed at the ceiling. Tears were forming in my eyes as every thought about him went through my head. I couldn't believe that I had failed.

Oh, well. The least I could do for him is give him company before he goes... even if he won't reply for now, since he's asleep.

"I'm sorry, Diego. I'm... I'm sorry I failed to save you." I said with a slightly raspy tone as I continued to stare at the ceiling.

...

...

"Why did you even try to save me?"

My eyes widened in shock when I heard the familiar voice. I looked to my left and saw that Diego was looking at me with a blank stare. I felt a spark of happiness ignite in my chest. I couldn't help but smile. "Because I knew that there was still a chance to save you from your nightmares."

"Pfft! Nightmares... You think that all the shit I've been through are considered as nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"He he. You sound like my paren-" He stopped there and the look on his face began to look grave and a bit saddened and angered. Of course, it was the deep and dark secrets that made him react that way. And if I'm going to get rid of those secrets and free him of his nightmares, I'm going to make him tell me everything regarding how he turned into an evil being.

"Diego. I know you want to get rid of those haunting memories. Why don't you allow me to help you, and tell me everything."

His response was a quick glare and a weak snarl. I wasn't taken aback by his actions, though. I continued to look at him with pure concern. He kept his glare, but then it started to soften up and morph into a slightly saddened expression.

With that, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Look. Why are you doing this? After all the obstacles I put you through, you still try to help me in the end."

"Why don't YOU tell me what you thought had happened to me. Then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong." He said as he adjusted his body position so he could feel more comfortable.

Tell him what I thought, huh? I guess it wouldn't hurt to play along. "Alright." I said with a smile.

"While I was looking for you in the fiery facade that was the warehouse, I realized that someone told you to go against the world as it is against you. You were still a kid at the time, so you were easily manipulated. I know it has had a large effect on you and that it seemed too late to change you back, but I couldn't leave you in there to die. I knew that you could still be saved. Everyone can change."

I finished my explanation, and he just kept staring at me. I stared back at him, feeling nervous and all. However, I felt like time suddenly slowed down, for as I continued to focus on his face, I noticed that he was slowly forming a smile. And it wasn't an evil smile, mind you. It was an ordinary smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"You know, American... You're right. I WAS told that."

It's a good thing that he took it lightly. But it was either because of his condition now or he finally realized his actions. However, his smile started to disappear and tears were forming in his eyes. Soon, he slowly turned around and held on tight to his pillow. I couldn't believe it... An eagle like him... crying. But then again, it really means that he has chosen the path of redemption. And I'm proud of him.

I needed to comfort him, so I did what people usually do. "There, there. It's alright."

"(SNIFF!) No. It's not alright. I... I killed my parents. I killed many others. I used to be one of the nicest guys in the jungles of Rio. (SNIFF!) Why have I gone mad? W-why did I listen to that asshole that told me those words?"

"Hey, it's alright. What matters now is that you're not the evil Diego anymore."

"R-really?" He said weakly as he turned to face me again.

"Yeah."

Again, we stared at each other for a while. After a few minutes of silence, he started giggling. Pretty soon, it reached to the point of him laughing, which sounded like cheering if you ask me. It was weird, you know? You were crying before and now you're laughing. What's up with that? "W-why are you laughing all of a sudden?"

"Ha ha ha! I never felt so happy in my life! Ha ha! Oh, I would still be evil if you hadn't decided to try and save me. Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Wow! He did! He really did change! I succeeded! Ha ha! I was so happy that I also laughed with him. "Ha ha ha! It's alright, Diego! It's my pleasure!"

"Ha ha ha- AAACCK!"

His laughing stopped and he started coughing. He fell back on the bed flat and coughed away. But the coughs weren't simple. They sounded hard and it seemed like pain was shooting through Diego's chest. His eyes were shut tight and he placed a wing on his chest. My happiness immediately disappeared as I could only watch him in horror.

"(COUGH! COUGH!) Agh! (COUGH!) Merde!"

"J-just hold on, Diego! You'll be fine!"

"N-no... The d-doc was right... I'm not going to make it..."

"That's not true! You'll make it! Trust me!"

**A few minutes later...**

His coughing ceased. But his breathing became slow and raspy. He stared into the oblivion above. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him, though. I was too worried. I even tried to get some sleep, but likewise. The worries kept me awake.

The longer I stared at him, the more worried I got. Damn it! Where was that Monteiro guy the doctor was talking about?

As time passed by, I began to realize that nothing could be done. Diego was dying and I can't do anything to save him from that. But... how could he be the one dying? I took most of the damage. The pole going through me, being under all that rubble and warehouse debris, everything! I had Diego underneath me. Even if the pole was able to penetrate him too, the wound couldn't have been worse than mine. Maybe if I ask him... Maybe he remembers what made his condition worse than mine.

"Diego..."

He turned his head to face me and whispered, "Yes?"

"D-do you remember what made your condition worse than mine?"

"Y-yeah. In fact, I got more details from Mr. Tulio Monterio himself."

"Go on..."

"He... He said that my body took a lot of damage from an explosion. This bandage on my body doesn't just cover my wound. It also holds my rib cage in place. That explains the thickness of this thing. But there was more. My innards were also damaged to an extent that they may never heal. It's the reason why I'm dying."

"S-so... if an explosion was responsible for your ailments, then that means-"

"Yes. The grenade I unpinned really got me."

So that's how. It was the grenade. Damn... and just when I thought it would have any use while I was here. But instead, it hurt an evil eagle who I decided to save. I hate bad luck...

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"C-can you do me a few favors?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>A sudden increase in speed...<p>

The beeping sounds that mentioned his life's condition...

Death was here...

Death was closing in for the White-tailed Eagle...

Ready to claim its prize.

* * *

><p>"Can... Can you tell Sylvia that... that I'm sorry? And that I love her as my sweet, little sister? And... A-and that I will always watch over her from above?"<p>

"Please, Diego. Don't make it sound like you're never going to see her again." I pleaded. But he ignored it and continued.

"My time has come for me to go, and... I don't think I have the time to tell her everything."

* * *

><p>The merciless beeping from the machine continues to increase in speed...<p>

There was no running away from Death itself.

* * *

><p>I was beginning to feel a fresh set of tears in my eyes. I couldn't bear to hear Diego say such things. "Damn it, Diego. Stop it."<p>

His eyes began to close slowly. His breathing looked like it was going to stop anytime.

"I'm sorry, Alex... for all the troubles I have caused you and your friends. Take care... T-Take care of your f-friends..."

... a-and...

T-take c-care of Sylvia for m-me..."

His final words said, his eyes completely closed and his breathing ceased. The machine that displayed his heart rate was not showing sharp waves anymore. It was a flat line. The numbers reached "zero". The beeping ceased and was replaced with a sound that kept on going.

It was official.

Diego, the eagle who was still able to redeem himself even in the final moments of his life...

... is dead.

**Meanwhile...**

**Blu's POV**

I was in the waiting area with Jewel and Linda. It had been more than half an hour since the doctors came out of the Patients Room. When I heard from Tulio that Diego wasn't going to make it, I was really saddened. I was also worried that Alex might not be able to take the news lightly.

Not long ago, Tulio called the Grand Hotel do Rio and notified the president of the United States that his companion, Alex, is here. I told him to tell him that. He should be here soon. The only things I have to look out for are a few black cars, some guys in suits and a guy in the middle of the guys in suits.

I leaned on Linda's head. I needed to cuddle with something as comforting as Linda so I could shake these worries off. Linda noticed it and soothed, "Don't worry, Blu. I'm sure your eagle friends will be fine."

"Let's hope so..." I said weakly, in which she understood as a weak caw.

Jewel was perched on Linda's other arm. Rafael, Eva, their kids and our kids were in the aviary keeping Sylvia some company while she recovers from her beatings. Nigel was in the Treatment Room. Tulio was fixing up his wounds after getting shot by Gregorio, which of course, he didn't believe. He thinks that it was the doing of mischievous kids and their little toys. Well, he's going to change his mind once Alex's friend gets here. Knowing that he is one of the guys who provided Alex's gear, I'm sure he can tell that Nigel was shot by a bird-appropriate gun.

Speaking of Gregorio, I wonder where he went off to. Ever since the Toucan kids scared him off, he never made another appearance. Not even to come back for his brother. Weird... I guess he really is a coward. I know I am, but he's worse. I'm sure of that one.

I turned my head to Jewel and was about to ask her about what she thinks about Gregorio's whereabouts, but I cancelled the thought. She didn't seem to be in a talking mood. She just stared through the window behind her. Her expression was just blank. But her eyes had something else in them. Worry. And I perfectly understood that.

I turned my head back towards the Patients Room doors, but then another door opened. I shifted my head a little more to the left and saw Tulio walking out of the Treatment Room behind the counter with Nigel perched on his arm. His body was wrapped in a bandage. He seemed to be happy and well. So I smiled at him and he winked in response.

"Good news about our friend here. The wounds weren't severe and the small metal fragments that I found inside him didn't do big damage to any of his inner organs. In short, he should be fine."

I was going to squawk in happiness, when I heard a few cars pull over. I, as well as the others, looked to the entrance of the building (the glass doors), and I was right. There were a few cars. We all stared in silence as a few humans in black suits and black shades came out of the cars. I counted at least 6 guys in suits and shades. The last guy to come out had no shades on. It was President Dexter Eisenhower.

I then looked at Tulio, who went towards the doors so he could open them for the guys. Once he opened them, he greeted them as the suited gentlemen entered. "Good morning, gentlemen. Mr. President."

Dexter was the last one to enter and he shook Tulio's hand. "Good morning to you too, Doctor. Thank you for telling me about my friend. I thought I lost him forever."

"Well, you're in luck. He's in good condition. Those who were responsible for finding him are in this very room, and take note: They're not human."

His eyes widened a bit and a smile crept on his face. "Really?"

"Yes sir. They're birds."

He then turned to me and Jewel and pointed at us. "They were responsible for finding him."

When Dexter turned his eyes to us, his casual happy face slowly turned into a face of shock and discovery. "Well, I'll be a star in the flag... Those are the Spix's Macaws that Alex and I read about in the online news."

Tulio planted a hand on his shoulder and proudly said, "Yes. That is them."

"Alex always wanted to meet them personally. It was one of his reasons for going here. He... He wanted to make their acquaintance."

"Well, since they found him, I'm sure he did... Speaking of Alex..."

* * *

><p>He lay there in bed. His back was turned against his dead friend-turned enemy. The heart-rate scanner's sounds have been ceased by Alex himself not long ago. How? Well, due to his platter of mixed sadness and anger, he grabbed one of the nearby wires that were connected to the now-dead Diego and snapped it in two with his beak, causing the machine's sudden shut-down. He didn't want to hear the haunting sound any longer. All he wanted now was to lose himself in his dreams; the only place that offered complete serenity.<p>

He closed his eyes. He was too sad to think about anything else. All he kept thinking about was, "I guess I can't save everybody, even if I wanted to." Being in his, dream state, he wouldn't be able to hear

While he wallowed in depression, Linda, Tulio, Dexter and his agents and a few other doctors, along with Blu, Jewel and Nigel, silently entered the room. They all noticed that Alex's eyes were closed. They all thought he was asleep, so they made sure to not make any loud noises. "Okay, people. Alex is asleep. And so is his friend. Let's just give them a quick check. After that, we'll wait for them to wake up..."

Tulio paused a bit and looked at Dexter and his agents. "... That is, if any of you are busy and-"

"No, it's alright. We are on hiatus after all. Away from work and all. If we have to wait, then it's fine with me. My patience is long." Dexter assured happily.

Tulio gave him a smile and turned to the two eagles. On his way to them, he was able to observe Alex's heart rate. "Alex seems to be alright. Now, let's check on the other- Huh?"

He paused, only to notice that Diego's heart-rate scanner turned off. "Funny. I thought the other two doctors turned it on. Hmm... Must be a technical failure."

He continued to walk quietly to Diego's bed. Once he got there, he pressed the start-up button on the body of the machine, but it did not turn on. "What the?"

He pressed it again. Nothing happened. Dexter noticed Tulio's incoming nervousness and went over to him. "Need any help with that, doctor?"

"I guess I could. Thank you. May you check the wires?" He pleaded nervously while he continued to find different methods of bringing the machine back to life.

"No problem." Dexter said as he went around the machine and looked at it's behind.

He started at one wire and trailed it downwards. However, half-way there, he discovered that the wire's extension did not continue and it was cut in half. "Uh... Mr. Tulio? The wire's cut. And the edges of the wires don't look smooth."

Tulio's eyes widened and feeling worried, he went next to Dexter and looked at the wire. He was telling the truth. The wire really was cut in half and it didn't look like it was cut by something sharp and stable, like a knife. "It's as if the wire's been cut by something blunt."

"Well, we don't have enough time to get a new one from the storage room, so I'm just going to go with the basics. And that's pulse finding." He said happily.

He then turned to Diego and placed his hands on his pulse points. His left hand was on Diego's foot while the right hand was on his feathery chest.

A few seconds passed by and nothing pulsed under Tulio's fingers. He started to worry. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no." He repeated.

"What? No pulse?"

"It feels like it. Oh, Deus..."

"Here. Let me try."

Tulio removed his hands and were replaced by Dexter's. He watched the president do the work, feeling shivers in his spine. He was clearly hoping that Diego wasn't dead. Not yet, at least. He knew that the results were inevitable, but he was hoping that he would have lasted a bit longer.

"This isn't going anywhere. I'll get the stethoscope. I need to be 100 percent sure. You can watch Alex, by the way."

So Tulio went out of the room towards his office to get his tool. This was a perfect moment for the two separated best friends to see each other again. But... how will it go?

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

As much as I am concerned and curious about those voices, I still kept my eyes closed in anger and sadness. I really wasn't in the mood to look at anything or communicate with anyone. I'd rather be secluded in my imaginations. My fantasy, where everything is exactly the way I want them to be. I know it sounds so childish. But I really am THAT depressed. Hence, I'm keeping my eyes closed and my thoughts away from anything else but my peaceful imaginations.

Anyway, I just lay still. Tears ran down my face slowly. Diego's death really hit me hard in the chest. Or should I say, my heart. He managed to change from an evil being to his good old self. He succeeded in turning back into the good eagle he said he was. But death already had it's hold on his life. Even if I wanted to save everyone I encounter, good or bad, I guess I really can't do so every time. And that's reality. Shit...**  
><strong>

I felt myself slowly falling into a slightly painful slumber, when I suddenly felt a warm hand on my shoulder area. My damp eyes opened in slight shock. My heart skipped a beat. Who could that be?

"Don't worry, Alex. You'll be okay. I'm finally here for you."

That soothing tone in that voice... There's only one person in this world that possesses that tone.

Feeling a bit excited, I turned my head upwards from the side and prepared to look at what was holding me. I had to adjust my body as well.

When I positioned myself comfortably and as my eyes set upon a face; that one face that always calmed me down and cheered me up. The smile that was on his face made me feel like time stopped and my eyes' vision immediately focused with tunnel-vision. I felt my eyes widen more. I opened my beak to at least caw in mixed emotions, but I couldn't release any sound.

My eyes locked with the familiar face's eyes.

...

...

Dexter...

* * *

><p>Author's Note: There we go! Done with this one! :D<p>

I'm sorry if I seem to be putting up too many cliffhangers. It just gets to me. I don't know why, but it just does. XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. If school doesn't pin me down, I'll get the next one (including the other stories that I have in mind) up soon. I can't say when, but let's just say that you'll know when they come out. :)

Same protocol: Reviews are greatly appreciated, and if you spot any oddities that I missed, give me the heads-up. ;)

Catch ya'll in the next chapter, sugar cubes! (Anyone get that reference? XD)

Bah! Enough from me...

Really, catch you all in the next! ;)

Alex out.


	22. Redemption, Death and Unity: Part 2

Author's Notes: Hey, guys and gals! :D

Guess what? I'M BACK! Back from hard-ass schooling and finally graduating High School, that is. XD

I would like to apologize once more for the very long wait. I think it's been a year since I uploaded my last chapter... Yeah, it's been a year. But now that I'm back, here is my promised continuation of Tales of an Eagle. :D

Oh, and I would also like to thank those who still kept on the look-out for any notifications of my coming back and such, like 4The-Spade-Heart and RAS (who is now named as Toltec Spirit, which is a cool name ;) ).

So... yeah. And I have other stories coming up as well, including an obvious sequel to this story. If any of you are interested, check out my profile and see the updated lists.

Eeyup, that's enough from me. I am so glad to be back. XD

Here's the new chapter, and enjoy! :D

* * *

><p><strong>Alex's POV<strong>

Holy mother of- You have got to be freaking kidding me! Dexter?!

I know it's only been a few days since we were separated, but what the hell! It felt like weeks! What with all the crap I had to go through and stuff.

I kept staring at his face for a long time, a look of utter shock and surprise plastered on my face and my beak left hanging slightly ajar. This caused my friend to laugh a bit and say, "You look like you've seen a ghost, buddy. He he, I thought you weren't afraid of ghosts."

I wasn't really...

Okay, I was and still am. What he said actually kind of fits the situation though. I mean, it's been a while since I saw him and having those feelings that he was dead and then now he's right in front of me looking clean in his usual black suit with the red tie... Like he's the ghost.

'For the love of... Ugh...' I thought with the feel of making a face-palm.. Or rather, "face-wing".

Still though, putting aside his line, I registered the situations and have finally accepted it. Yes. Dexter IS here and well. Which means... I can go home after all this, and just the thought of that got me smiling.. finally. I didn't move much since my body ached so freaking much. Then again, my mother suffered from more pain since she had to deal with a burning rough branch while I only had to deal with a thin, cold steel pole.

He put his hand gently on my right wing, expanding it for him in response. "I'm sorry for.. throwing you off the street and down to the river. I-It was the only thing that I thought just to get you away from that fire-fight."

The tone of his voice was a slightly saddened yet glad kind. I had to be on the same boat with him. I mean, I was better off out in the jungle rather than getting killed in the gun fight. He means well, and I know that. Least I made some new friends during my stay here. So I flashed him a smile, with a tear falling down my right eye. I wanted to hug him so badly, but with my current condition, I can't. I feel like I just wanna flail my limbs, but it would only do me worse than good.

Dex saw my eagerness in my eyes and forced out a chuckle. "Hm-hm-hm... Don't worry, bud. You'll be out of that bed soon enough. Just get some rest, okay?"

I cawed weakly in response, but with the smile still on.

I guess things can get better. If only Diego survived his injuries... He could have made a great friend.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe I got shot by that feather-brain Gregorio. Which brings me to the wonder of how he even got that thing..." Nigel muttered painfully while holding onto his bandaged body. Blu walked to his side and placed a wing on his shoulder. He gave his once-enemy-now-friend a smile of confidence.<p>

"You'll be fine, Nigel. Just rest it off and Tulio will remove that."

"But... how long will it be on me?"

"That depends, Nigel. That depends." Blu said with a wink, causing Nigel to get the feeling that it might take a while before he can be released. "Nngh.. Now I know what being caged feels like. Guess I can say that I feel the same way as Jewel."

True that, he did. And once Jewel heard this from him, she chuckled lightly and said in a slight yell, "Great! Feel my pain, Nigel! Hahaha!"

"Gee-whiz... At least we're in an aviary. And there's flowing water and plants and trees... and the ground's made of soil. I guess I can have this for now."

He looks over at Blu, who still has that smile on his face. Nigel neared his eyes to his and said, "For now, only."

In response, the Spix's Macaw chuckled even more. "Hehe, whatever you say, Nigel. Whatever you say."

They all settled down in the aviary to rest from the past night's scuffle with the eagles. Thank God, it was all over. To think they were nearly killed all over by the menacing eagle, and then nearly crushed under a burning warehouse. It's just amazing that they were still in one piece.

Blu and Jewel's kids were sleeping in one of the hollows of a tree. Rafael, Eva and their kids were also asleep, but in a different aviary, along with Sylvia.

Nothing much was going on.

.. Until...

**... **

"Here you go, you beautiful couple. You just stay here with the others and maybe even make friends with them." Tulio said cheerily and gently pushed in two new birds. A Blue-and-Gold Macaw and a Scarlet Macaw, to be precise.

"It was nice of our master to put us here while he's out on his business, don't you think, Charlene?"

"Yes, Lorenzo. I know."

**... **

In the other aviary, while the Toucan family stayed in their state of slumber, Sylvia stayed awake, still thinking about what had happened last night. A lot happened and it was all painful. After knowing the truth of what happened to her parents, having to actually fight his own brothers.. It was just too much to handle.

She stayed up in a tree further from the Toucan family, the one next to the flowing water, which she just stared at, slowly shedding tears and trying not to break into a sob. "If only.. If only I could bring them back.."

After what her brothers did, she just found it surprising that Alex wanted to save his older brother from his nearing demise. She found it pointless, but maybe.. Just maybe... Diego could change after realizing his actions after being saved from his number one enemy.

But then again, after hearing from the others how his injuries were, he might not be able to survive. The sudden thought of Diego changing and then suddenly being driven to a dying state made her shed more tears. "Why do these things even happen... Why... *SNIFF*"

And then Alex came to her mind. The one eagle she thought of when she realized her actions were wrong and wanted to be on his side, or better yet, by his side.

What if he was also dying? What if he was going to fade away from her life, just like her parents?

Feeling so down, she flew down to the flowing water and bathed in it. Next to it was a cute, little waterfall fit for her bathing needs. She went over to it and bathed herself. The feeling of the cool liquid relaxed her body, closing her eyes as she tried to calmly think positive. She even drank the water, thinking that hydrating herself would help calm her down.

All she wanted was all this madness to end and that Diego and Alex survive.

Sadly for her, she doesn't know what already happened to Diego.

* * *

><p>As the other vets guided Dexter out of the room, Alex watched his friend leave momentarily before falling to a state of slumber. All out of exhaustion from what happened to him.<p>

As for Tulio, after replacing the machine to check on Diego's vitals, he gasped after discovering that Diego was not alive anymore, but now a dead eagle. The doctor couldn't find it in his heart to hold on to hope for the poor White-tailed eagle anymore. He had to accept his fate.

"I am so sorry, meu amigo. I hope you are in a better place now."

Wiping a tear, he removed all the cords connected to Diego and gently lifted him off the bed. He was going to give him a proper burial, just like what he does to others who couldn't live from their injuries.

"He probably might be related to the other White-tailed eagle too..."

Well, guess what, Tulio. He is, and he is her brother.

That dead eagle you're about to bury is the other eagle's loving brother.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry it's not much. I'm still trying to get the feels of writing again. It's been a long while.<p>

The next one might not update so quickly, but it will be up for sure and not at another later date like this one. :P

Like before, reviews are greatly appreciated and if I missed anything that needs fixing, lemme know. :)

See you all in the next one. :D

'Ol Alex out.


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